Bangladesh On Edge As Tribunal Prepares To Announce Verdict Date In Sheikh Hasina Crimes Case

Bangladesh remains on high alert as the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is expected to announce on Thursday, November 13, the date for its verdict in the case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The charges include crimes against humanity and murder allegedly committed during the July 2024 uprising that led to the collapse of her government. Authorities have deployed security forces across major cities amid growing political tensions and fears of fresh unrest.

The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has mobilized the army, police, and paramilitary forces to maintain order. Airports, government buildings, and key installations have been placed under heavy security. The Bangladesh Awami League, Hasina’s party, which remains banned under the current administration, has announced a nationwide dawn-to-dusk lockdown on Thursday, urging citizens to join in solidarity. Party communications have shifted online as leaders operate from undisclosed locations, using social media to mobilize supporters.

Tensions have escalated across the country in the run-up to the tribunal’s announcement. Reports have emerged of vehicle arson and crude bomb explosions in several parts of Bangladesh, including the capital, Dhaka. Law enforcement agencies have intensified operations to pre-empt political violence, arresting suspected party activists and tightening security checks on major routes and highways. Flash rallies by Awami League supporters have also been reported despite restrictions on public gatherings.

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Sheikh Hasina’s government was toppled in July 2024 following large-scale student-led protests over allegations of corruption, misuse of power, and extrajudicial killings. According to a United Nations report, over 1,400 people were killed during the unrest that eventually forced the former Prime Minister to flee to India on August 5, 2024. The interim administration later launched proceedings against her under a revised legal framework that allows the ICT to try cases beyond the 1971 Liberation War period.

The irony of the case lies in the tribunal’s origin—Sheikh Hasina herself established the International Crimes Tribunal in 2009 to prosecute war crimes committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Independence War against Pakistan. During her tenure, the tribunal convicted multiple Jamaat-e-Islami leaders for wartime atrocities. Fourteen years later, the same institution is now poised to deliver legal rulings against her, marking a dramatic shift in Bangladesh’s volatile political landscape. Officials confirmed that testimonies in Hasina’s case have been completed, and the date for delivering the verdict will be fixed on Thursday.

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