Overview

• Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal commenced an in-absentia trial of Sheikh Hasina on August 3, charging her with crimes against humanity over last year’s student-led protests that left up to 1,400 people dead.
• The first witness—a protester shot in the face during the uprising—gave testimony today, and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has agreed to testify as an approver in the case.
• Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced that the interim government will present the ‘July Declaration’ on the uprising’s first anniversary to enshrine constitutional and electoral overhauls.
• Political parties remain divided over election timing, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party pushing for February 2026 polls and Yunus’s administration targeting April 2026 to complete reforms.
• Rights groups including Human Rights Watch warn of ongoing arbitrary detentions, and Islamist factions such as Hefazat-e-Islam have stepped up public rallies, raising concerns over minority protections.