Latest news with #ICT
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bangladesh begins Sheikh Hasina trial on mass murder charges
File photo: Former Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina DHAKA: Prosecutors at Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Sunday formally charged former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two others with crimes against humanity and other charges, including mass murder, for their alleged role in a violent crackdown last year in which hundreds of people were killed. The other two charged for the crimes with Hasina are former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun. "We do hereby take into cognisance the charges," the three-judge ICT bench led by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumdar said after a prosecution team accused them of attempting to tame the student-led protests using brutal force. The tribunal ordered investigators to present all three accused before the court on June 16. Mamun is in police custody. Hasina and Kamal are residing abroad. Sunday's proceedings marked the start of Hasina's trial in absentia nearly 10 months after the ouster of her government following protests. Under ICT law, if convicted, Hasina and the co-accused could face the death penalty. Proceedings aired live, a first for Bangladesh The proceedings were broadcast live on television for the first time in Bangladesh's history. The complaint, submitted by chief prosecutor Tajul Islam, outlined five counts of alleged crimes, including murder, attempted murder, torture and other inhumane acts. The accused are also charged with abetting, inciting, facilitating and being complicit in, as well as failing to prevent, a series of crimes reportedly committed against civilians by law enforcement agencies and armed affiliates of the Awami League. One count specifically refers to a violent crackdown on unarmed student demonstrators, which allegedly followed a press briefing by Hasina on July 14. Prosecutors claim that in the aftermath, Kamal, IGP Mamun and other senior government officials were directly involved in enabling and overseeing the assault. 'Upon reviewing the evidence, we concluded that it was a coordinated, widespread and systematic attack,' Islam told the court. 'The accused unleashed all law enforcement agencies and her (Hasina's) armed party members to crush the uprising.' The ICT was set up by Hasina in 2009 to investigate crimes committed by the Pakistani army during Bangladesh's war for independence in 1971. Six top leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and one leader of former PM Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party were hanged to death after being convicted by the court. According to a UN rights office report, some 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and Aug 15 last year as violence continued even after the fall of Hasina's Awami League regime.
Observer
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Observer
Ex-PM accused of ‘systematic attack'
DHAKA: Fugitive former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina orchestrated a "systematic attack" that amounted to crimes against humanity in her attempt to crush the uprising that toppled her government, Bangladeshi prosecutors said at the opening of her trial on Sunday. Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is prosecuting former senior figures connected to Hasina's ousted government and her now-banned party, the Awami League. "Upon scrutinising the evidence, we reached the conclusion that it was a coordinated, widespread and systematic attack," ICT chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told the court in his opening speech. "The accused unleashed all law enforcement agencies and her armed party members to crush the uprising." Islam lodged five charges each against Hasina and two other officials that included "abetment, incitement, complicity, facilitation, conspiracy, and failure to prevent mass murder during the July uprising". Prosecutors say such acts are tantamount to "crimes against humanity". — AFP
Times of Oman
8 hours ago
- General
- Times of Oman
Bangladesh: Exiled ex-PM Sheikh Hasina on trial
Dhaka: The trial against Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina began in Dhaka on Sunday, with the fugitive former leader being accused of crimes against humanity. Hasina was ousted in a student-led uprising last year, with the nationwide unrest ending with her fleeing Bangladesh and finding refuge in neighbouring India. She has since refused an extradition order to return to Dhaka. The trial against Hasina is being held in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). The officials are focusing on her government's crackdown against the protest movement, which marked the end of her 15-year rule. What did prosecutors say about Sheikh Hasina? 'Upon scrutinising the evidence, we reached the conclusion that it was a coordinated, widespread and systematic attack,' ICT chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told the court in his opening speech. 'The accused unleashed all law enforcement agencies and her armed party members to crush the uprising.' Prosecutors have accused Hasina of directing the violent crackdown, including ordering the killing of student protester Abu Sayeed, the first to be killed during the uprising. The prosecution has listed five charges against Hasina and several other top officials from her government, including 'abetment, incitement, complicity, facilitation, conspiracy, and failure to prevent mass murder during the July uprising.' Islam said the charges amounted to 'crimes against humanity.' How has Sheikh Hasina responded to the charges? Hasina claims the charges against her are politically motivated. Her party, the Awami League, was banned pending the result of the trial. Islam vowed the trial would be impartial, saying: 'This is not an act of vendetta but a commitment to the principle that, in a democratic country, there is no room for crimes against humanity.' Sunday's trial also included ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, who is in custody but was not in court on the opening day, and former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal who is on the run, presumed to also be in India. The ICT was first set up by Hasina in 2009 to investigate crimes carried out by the Pakistani military during Bangladesh's war for independence in 1971.
Hans India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Bangladesh Tribunal indicts former PM Hasina for mass murder, issues fresh arrest warrant
In a historic and highly charged legal development, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Sunday indicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in self-imposed exile in India, on charges including mass murder related to the violent suppression of last year's student-led protests. The tribunal, comprising a three-judge bench, accepted the charges against Hasina and two others—former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. While Mamun is currently in custody and will be tried in person, both Hasina and Kamal will be tried in absentia. The court also issued a fresh arrest warrant for Hasina and Kamal. According to the prosecution, Hasina exercised "absolute authority" in ordering the brutal crackdown on demonstrators, resulting in significant casualties. The other two accused were charged with instigating, facilitating, and abetting the violent response. All three face allegations under the doctrine of "superior command responsibility." Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam went a step further, urging the court to declare Hasina's political party, the Awami League, a criminal organization, citing the partisan nature of the alleged crimes. If convicted under ICT-BD law, the accused could face the death penalty. Sunday's hearing marked the formal start of Hasina's trial in absentia, coming nearly 10 months after her government was toppled on August 5, 2024, following weeks of nationwide unrest. The tribunal proceedings were broadcast live for the first time in Bangladesh's history. However, tensions ran high as three crude bombs were hurled at the court premises hours before the trial. Two of them exploded while the third was defused. No injuries were reported, and police are reviewing CCTV footage to identify the culprits. The UN Human Rights Office previously reported that approximately 1,400 people were killed in the span of a month during the protests between July 15 and August 15, 2024, which included both civilians and security personnel. Hasina has dismissed the charges as politically motivated. The Bangladesh government has requested her extradition from India through diplomatic channels, but New Delhi has so far remained silent, only confirming receipt of the note. Most top leaders of the former Awami League administration are already in custody, facing similar charges related to the deadly protests that triggered a regime change in Bangladesh.
Mint
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Bangladesh indicts Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina on mass murder charges; trial broadcast on live television
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Sunday formally indicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two others on multiple charges, including mass murder, in connection with thier alleged violent crackdown on student-led protests that rocked the nation last year. A three-judge bench of the ICT took cognizance of the charges after prosecutors accused Hasina and her former colleagues of using brutal force against protesters. 'We do hereby take into cognizance the charges,' the three-judge ICT bench said, reported PTI. The tribunal's proceedings, broadcast live on national television for the first time in the country's history, mark the beginning of Hasina's trial in absentia — nearly ten months after her ouster. The court also issued fresh arrest warrants for Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The third accused, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, is in custody and will stand trial in person. Sheikh Hasina has been charged with exercising unchecked authority to violently quash the protests, while Kamal and Mamun face accusations of instigating, abetting, and facilitating the crackdown, as per PTI. All three were accused of superior command responsibility for the crimes. Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam went a step further, urging the tribunal to declare Hasina's Awami League a criminal organisation, claiming the violence was orchestrated on partisan lines. If convicted under the ICT-BD law, the accused could face the death penalty. The trial's start was briefly delayed after three crude bombs were hurled at the tribunal's gates early Sunday morning. Two exploded, while the third was defused. Police are reviewing CCTV footage to identify and arrest the perpetrators. Sheikh Hasina, ousted on August 5, 2024, following the widespread unrest, now faces multiple cases in Bangladesh. A previous arrest warrant led the interim government to formally request her repatriation from India via diplomatic channels. New Delhi has acknowledged the request but has not issued a response. According to a UN human rights report, the protests and subsequent violence between July 15 and August 15 in Bangladesh last year claimed the lives of approximately 1,400 people — including students, civilians, and police personnel.
