 "Bangladesh charges deposed PM Sheikh Hasina with 'crimes against humanity' during 2024 uprising")
Bangladesh has officially charged deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two senior officials over ‘crimes against humanity’ during the massive student-led protests in 2024 in the form of violent crackdowns.
An investigation found that Hasina “directly ordered” state machinery, including her political parties and affiliated groups, to carry out operations targeting students that may have caused deaths in large numbers.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam said in a televised hearing on Sunday (June 1) that “these killings were planned.”
He also cited evidence and encrypted communications between different agencies.
According to Islam, the case includes 81 individuals as witnesses. Prosecutors have also claimed that, as the head of the government, Hasina holds command responsibility for the security force operations during the unrest.
“The accused unleashed all law enforcement agencies and her armed party members to crush the uprising,” Islam said. “Upon scrutinising the evidence, we reached the conclusion that it was a coordinated, widespread and systematic attack.”
The explosive indictment was read out Sunday during a live broadcast of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) proceedings—a first in Bangladesh’s history.
Hasina stepped down as prime minister in August after a 15-year tenure and left Bangladesh for New Delhi, pressured by millions of protesters who had been demonstrating for weeks demanding her resignation. She and some of her family members are also accused of corruption.
Impact Shorts
View AllAccording to the UN, approximately 1,400 people lost their lives between July and August 2024, when Hasina’s administration cracked down heavily on protests initially sparked by students opposing public sector job quotas. The situation rapidly deteriorated, becoming one of the deadliest periods in Bangladesh since its independence in 1971.
The case represents a significant milestone for the ICT, as investigators have submitted evidence such as phone recordings, drone logs, helicopter flight data, and survivor accounts.
In a related development, the court began its first trial on May 25, charging eight police officers for the deaths of six protesters on August 5—the same day Hasina fled. Four of the officers are in custody, while the others are being tried in absentia.
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