Top News

Dhaka: The indictment hearing in the crimes against humanity case against Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been set for July 1, the country’s crimes tribunal announced on Tuesday.

The cases are against Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun for their role in the July-August mass uprising last year, state-run BSS reported.

A three-member bench of the crimes tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, passed the order after the accused failed to appear before the court despite a notice seeking their surrender.

Hasina, whose nearly 16-year Awami League regime was toppled last year in a student-led uprising on August 5, forcing her to leave the country for India, was accused of mass killings during the uprising and enforced disappearances earlier in the tribunal.

State defence counsel would be appointed to represent Hasina and Kamal before the court, the tribunal stated.

“…as per rule 31 of the International Crimes (Tribunal-1) Rules of Procedure 2010 (Amendment), 2025, they are hereby ordered to surrender at this tribunal on 24 June 2025. Otherwise, the trial will be held in their absence as per section 10A of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973,” the report cited the notice seeking the surrender as stating.

The prosecution in the formal charge brought five charges against Hasina, Kamal and Al-Mamun and the crime tribunal’s investigation agency filed its probe report in the crimes against humanity and mass killing case on May 12, according to the report.