Dhaka – A special court in Bangladesh will set a date next month to deliver its verdict in a case against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The case is related to last year’s violent uprising that overthrew her 15-year rule, officials said on Thursday.
The International Crimes Tribunal, a specialized court dealing with crimes against humanity, has fixed November 13 to announce a fresh date for the pronouncement of verdict, according to Tajul Islam, the tribunal’s chief prosecutor.
A three-judge panel, led by Chairman Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder of International Crimes Tribunal-1 passed the order.
The chief prosecutor said that the court has concluded the trial process, as Thursday was the final day for closing arguments from both prosecution and defense lawyers. The prosecution, claiming it had proven the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, demanded the maximum punishment for the accused.
The state-appointed defense counsel, assigned after Hasina did not appoint her own lawyer, argued for acquittal, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the charges.
Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police Abdullah Al Mamun are co-accused in the case with Hasina. Mamun, who is currently in custody, has pleaded guilty as an accomplice witness.
Hasina, who has been exiled in India since fleeing the uprising on August 5, 2024 also faces numerous other cases. These are related to last year’s violent protests, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the suppression of political dissent during her 15-year rule from 2009 to 2024.
