Dhaka– Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has scheduled the hearing of charges against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two other high-ranking officials for July 1, in a case related to alleged crimes against humanity.
The other accused are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, issued the order on Tuesday. During the proceedings, former IGP Al-Mamun was produced before the court.
According to the Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, the ICT had earlier issued a public notice in two national newspapers on June 17, instructing Sheikh Hasina and Kamal to appear before the tribunal on June 24.
“In accordance with Rule 31 of the International Crimes (Tribunal-1) Rules of Procedure 2010 (Amendment), 2025, the accused are ordered to surrender before this tribunal on June 24, 2025. Failure to do so will result in trial proceedings in absentia under Section 10A of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973,” the notice stated.
Formal charges were filed on June 1 against the three, including allegations of murder, attempted murder, torture, and the use of lethal force. The court accepted the prosecution’s charge sheet and issued arrest warrants for Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. On the same day, Al-Mamun was arrested.
The charges and subsequent legal action have sparked strong backlash from the opposition Awami League, which denounced the tribunal’s proceedings as a politically motivated “show trial” orchestrated by what it called the “unelected and undemocratic” administration led by Muhammad Yunus.
The party also rejected the accusations against Hasina, raising concerns over the fairness of the trial and highlighting that several officials in the current government had already made public statements declaring her guilty. (Source: IANS)
