Five charges against Sheikh Hasina

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 will deliver its verdict on Monday in the crimes against humanity case against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two of her senior aides.

The tribunal chairman, Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, is set to announce the judgement amid tight security. The trial concluded on October 23. The case concerns alleged crimes during the July-August 2024 student-led protests.

The following are the five specific charges against Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun:

1. The defendants are accused of abetting, inciting, and being complicit in murder, attempted murder, and torture against civilians by law enforcement and Awami League cadres following Hasina's 14 July press briefing. This charge covers widespread violence during the initial phase of protests.

2. Hasina is charged with ordering the extermination of student protesters using helicopters, drones, and lethal weapons, while her aides allegedly facilitated and executed this directive. This constitutes the most serious charge of systematic extermination.

3. The defendants face charges for the murder of student protester Abu Sayed near Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, with prosecutors alleging Hasina's inflammatory remarks led to the shooting. This is a specific incident of targeted killing.

4. The trio is accused of ordering and facilitating the shooting deaths of six unarmed protesters in Dhaka's Chankharpul on 5 August last year. This was among the deadliest single incidents during the unrest.

5. The defendants are charged with the shooting and burning of six student protesters in Ashulia, including one victim allegedly set on fire while still alive. This charge involves particularly brutal treatment of victims.

All charges failed under the International Crimes Act 1973, with the prosecution alleging these were systematic attacks on civilian populations.