The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Sunday ordered the publication of a notice in two national newspapers summoning deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina to appear before it within seven days to face contempt of court proceedings.
The tribunal, chaired by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, directed that the notice should be published in one Bangla-language and one English-language dailies to inform Hasina of the proceedings 鈥� deemed her final opportunity to respond in this regard.
The contempt charges stem from the allegations that the deposed prime minister repeatedly made provocative remarks during a phone conversation with an Awami League leader from Gaibandha, which prosecutors say amounted to obstruction of justice in the ongoing trial over the July 2024 mass uprising.
The tribunal fixed June 3 for the next hearing in the case.
The tribunal clarified that Hasina might respond to the charges either in person or through legal counsel.
ICT chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam argued during the hearing that while such notices were not always required, the publication was being ordered in the interest of ensuring fairness and transparency in the judicial process.
He urged the court to take action against Hasina if she failed to appear by the scheduled date.
Briefing reporters after the hearing, prosecutor Gazi Monowar Hossain Tamim said that the tribunal issued the notice based on a contempt petition filed by the ICT鈥檚 investigation agency.
The tribunal prosecutor accused Hasina 鈥� who fled to India on August 5, 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising that led to the ouster of her government 鈥� of obstructing judicial proceedings and making threats through remarks delivered abroad.
The prosecution said that the audio recording of the conversations was verified by forensic experts prior to filing the petition.
Earlier on May 11, the investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal submitted its investigation report against Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun over their alleged roles in committing atrocities during the 2024 July-August mass uprising.
This was the first-ever probe report against Hasina on her role during the mass uprising when over 1,500 people were killed and over 25,000 others received bullet injuries.
鈥楾his is the first investigation report against her, despite her name being mentioned in hundreds of cases relating to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other alleged crimes during her 15 years in power,鈥� said the tribunal鈥檚 chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam.
He expected that a formal charge sheet against Hasina and two of her associates would be submitted to the ICT in the first week of June as the prosecution would need some time to scrutinise the probe report.
He said that the investigators accused Hasina, also the president of the Awami League, of five counts of crimes against humanity, including abetment, facilitation, and conspiracy of crimes against humanity and failure to prevent the crimes committed during the student-led uprising.
Tajul said that the investigators made Sheikh Hasina the prime accused, instigator, and superior commander in masterminding, instigating, and ordering the atrocities between July 1, 2024 and August 5, 2024, the day when she was ousted from power and fled to India for shelter.
