Verdict in criminal case against Sheikh Hasina expected soon!

DHAKA: The verdict in the criminal case against ousted former prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina is expected later this month. According to the prosecution, she is accused of crimes against humanity. The prosecution has recommended the death penalty in one of the five cases filed against her.

The International Crimes Tribunal is scheduled to set a date for the verdict on November 13, following the completion of the trial. Prosecutors have indicated that the court may take an additional week after the hearing to deliver its final judgment.

Sheikh Hasina, 78, who is currently in India, has not returned to Bangladesh despite repeated summons from the court. She faces five charges, including failing to prevent murder, stemming from security operations that targeted participants in a student-led uprising in July–August 2024, which the United Nations reported killed up to 1,400 people. The prosecution has recommended the death penalty for her alleged crimes.

Hasina has denied all charges, describing the trial as a “mockery of justice.” Co-accused include Bangladesh’s former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who remains at large, and former police chief Chaudhry Abdullah al-Mamun, who is in custody and has confessed to the offenses.

“Based on past experience, the court may take another week to deliver its verdict,” said International Crimes Tribunal prosecutor Ghazi Munawar Hussain Tamim, stressing that the November 13 hearing will only determine the formal date for judgment.

The political situation in Bangladesh remains tense following Hasina’s ousting during the 2024 uprising. The country is preparing for general elections in February 2026, with campaigning already affected by sporadic violence.

In response to the trial developments, Hasina’s banned Awami League party declared a nationwide lockdown on Thursday, while security agencies across the country have been placed on high alert.