A Dhaka court on Monday set January 21 as the date for framing charges in a sedition case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 285 others. The case stems from allegations that Hasina and members of the Awami League participated in a virtual meeting of a group called the ‘Joy Bangla Brigade’ in December 2024, during which they allegedly plotted to topple the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

Judge Abdus Salam of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-9, presiding over the matter, confirmed the date after reviewing the case filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The charge sheet, submitted on July 30, named 286 accused, all allegedly linked to anti-government activities.

Sheikh Hasina has been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, following a nationwide student-led protest that shook the country. The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, assumed office on August 8, 2024, shortly after Hasina’s departure.

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Following the filing of the sedition case in March 2025, the court accepted the CID’s charge sheet on August 14 and issued arrest warrants against the accused. Travel bans were imposed in September, and notices were published in October directing absconding accused, including Hasina, to appear before the court.

Last November, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal for “crimes against humanity” in connection with the government’s crackdown on student protests. The sedition case was subsequently transferred from the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court to the Sessions Judge’s Court after the matter was deemed ready for trial.

The upcoming proceedings on January 21 will formally frame charges against Hasina and the other accused, marking a critical phase in one of Bangladesh’s most high-profile political and legal cases in recent years.

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