Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Bangladesh Sets Nov. 17 Verdict in Sheikh Hasina Crimes Trial as Lockdown Unrest Escalates

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in an in absentia case tied to last year’s deadly student uprising.

Overview

  • Courts confirmed the International Crimes Tribunal will deliver its verdict on Nov. 17 after hearings that began June 1 on five charges including crimes against humanity.
  • Schools shifted online and transport was disrupted as the banned Awami League’s nationwide lockdown coincided with crude bomb blasts and arson, including attacks near Dhaka University and Grameen Bank’s headquarters.
  • Security forces placed Dhaka on maximum alert with army, Border Guard Bangladesh and police deployments, and police reported hundreds of recent arrests and thousands detained since the party was outlawed.
  • Bangladesh’s foreign ministry summoned India’s deputy high commissioner to protest Hasina’s recent media interviews and urged New Delhi to curb her access, while Indian interlocutors cited media independence.
  • Hasina, in self-exile in India, denounced interim chief adviser Muhammad Yunus in new interviews and called for inclusive elections as international legal groups raised due-process concerns before a February vote.