DHAKA – Bangladesh has officially launched the trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over her alleged role in a deadly crackdown that killed up to 1,400 people during the 2024 student-led uprising. The trial began on Sunday, with prosecutors accusing her of orchestrating a systematic attack to crush dissent.
Sheikh Hasina, now 77, fled to India by helicopter as the protests ended her 15-year rule. She remains in self-imposed exile and has refused to return despite an arrest warrant and extradition order. The trial is being held by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which is also prosecuting other top officials from her now-banned Awami League party.
Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told the court that Hasina, along with other officials, unleashed law enforcement and armed party members to silence protesters. “It was a coordinated and widespread attack,” he said. The charges include abetment, conspiracy, complicity, and failure to prevent mass killings.
Hasina has rejected the accusations, calling them politically motivated. However, the prosecution insists the case is about justice, not revenge. “This is not an act of vendetta. In a democratic country, there’s no room for crimes against humanity,” Islam stated. The trial proceedings are being broadcast live on state television.
The investigation includes phone records, videos, drone footage, and testimonies from victims of the crackdown. Alongside Hasina, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun and ex-interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal are also facing charges. Mamun is in custody, while Kamal remains at large.
Meanwhile, the political scene in Bangladesh continues to shift. On Sunday, the Supreme Court restored the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami, a party previously banned by Hasina. The Awami League remains banned as the interim government prepares for general elections scheduled before June 2026.