The International Crimes Tribunal-1 is set to deliver its verdict today in the crimes against humanity case against deposed prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun.
The three were tried on five counts of crimes against humanity for their superior command responsibility in atrocities committed across the country during the July聽uprising in 2024. The crackdown left at least 1,500 dead and over 25,000 injured nationwide, according to investigators.
The government has taken tight security measures on the occasion of the announcement of the tribunal鈥檚 first verdict in a case of crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising.
The verdict is going to be announced amid high tension as arson and crude bomb attacks and the Awami League鈥檚 flash processions were continuing across the country since November 7 following the Awami League鈥檚 social media announcement to enforce 鈥楧haka Lockdown鈥� on November 13 and nationwide 鈥榗omplete shutdown鈥� on November 16 and November 17.
Hasina and Asaduzzaman, now in hiding in India, were tried in absentia.
Mamun, now in jail, has turned state evidence.
The Hasina-led Awami League regime was ousted from power amid the uprising on August 5, 2024. The 36-day movement began on July 1, 2024.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, on November 13 set November 17 to announce the verdict.
Today鈥檚 ICT proceedings will be broadcast live on BTV, an international TV channel, and the official Facebook page of the office of the ICT chief prosecutor since 11:00am.
The Supreme Court administration on Monday again requested the deployment of army personnel on the ICT and Supreme Court compound.
Besides the army troops deployed in aid of the civil administration, the police and Border Guard Bangladesh personnel were deployed in Dhaka and surrounding districts ahead of the verdict pronouncement.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police has set up several check posts in the capital to avoid any untoward incident.
BGB personnel have started patrolling in Dhaka, Faridpur, Gopalganj and Madaripur districts, BGB headquarters confirmed in a text message Sunday afternoon.
Home adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told reporters in Barishal that law enforcement agencies are fully prepared to prevent any untoward incident surrounding the verdict.
During the closing arguments, the prosecutors sought the death penalty or any other punishment under the law for Hasina and Asaduzzaman for their alleged roles in the atrocities.
The prosecution did not seek punishment for former IGP Mamun, who testified as state evidence, and left his fate to the tribunal.
State-appointed defence counsel Amir Hossain, on the other hand, sought acquittal for Hasina and Asaduzzaman, arguing that the prosecution failed to prove the case against his clients.
Upon conviction, the ICT is empowered to impose the death penalty or any other punishment it deems just and proportionate to the gravity of the crime committed.
The first charge accused the trio of inciting the July violence. Hasina allegedly provoked attacks on protesters by calling them 鈥榮ons and grandchildren of Razakars鈥� on July 14, 2024.
The second charge links to an order for lethal action as Hasina allegedly instructed the DU vice-chancellor and law enforcement agencies to 鈥榟ang or kill鈥� protesters and directed the use of live fire and drones against them.
The third charge is linked to the killing of Abu Sayeed. The accused allegedly ordered police and ruling party activists to open fire on unarmed protesters at Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, killing student leader Abu Sayeed on July 16, 2024.
The fourth charge is connected to killings during the March to Dhaka programme. Six unarmed protesters were allegedly killed during the 鈥楳arch to Dhaka鈥� on August 5, 2024.
The fifth charge is linked to an arson attack on protesters at Ashulia. Five protesters were allegedly burned alive near Ashulia Police Station the same day, with another injured protester thrown into the fire.
On May 12, the ICT Investigation Agency submitted its probe report to the chief prosecutor鈥檚 office.
The chief prosecutor pressed the charges before the tribunal on June 1.
On July 10, the tribunal took cognisance of five charges against the accused.
The trial began on August 3 and concluded on October 23.
A total of 54 witnesses testified to prove the charges.
According to the charge sheet, Hasina has been named as the prime accused and designated the 鈥榠nstigator and superior commander鈥� who orchestrated and oversaw the state-led crackdown between July 1, 2024 and August 5, 2024, the day when the Awami League regime was ousted from power and Hasina fled to India.
The charge sheet also said that Hasina, Asaduzzman and Mamun took no action to prevent the attacks carried out by Awami League activists and affiliated groups against the peaceful protests of the Student Movement Against Discrimination on the Dhaka University campus on July 14, hours after Sheikh Hasina labelled the protesters as 鈥榮ons and grandsons of Razakars鈥�.
Similarly, no preventive steps were taken during coordinated processions held at 16 key points across the capital on July 16.
Instead, on the reported instructions of the then DMP commissioner Habibur Rahman, subordinate officers allegedly aided and facilitated the attacks by Awami League supporters, while deliberately refraining from intervening to protect the demonstrators.
Nine more cases are currently pending with the two International Crimes Tribunals.
ICT-1 is handling two disappearance cases involving 28 accused, including Sheikh Hasina and 13 detained serving army officers.
Hasina鈥檚 name appeared in hundreds of complaints over enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other serious violations committed during her 15-year authoritarian rule, now pending with the ICT for investigation, according to the prosecutors.
The interim government reconstituted both tribunals after the fall of the Awami League regime and amended the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 on November 24, 2024 to prosecute those responsible for the July鈥揂ugust atrocities.
On October 17, the ICT-1 issued arrest warrants for Hasina, Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan and 43 others for their alleged involvement in committing atrocities during the uprising.
The tribunal also directed the police to seek an INTERPOL red notice and later issued newspaper notices asking them to appear before the tribunal.
Foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain later said that the government would take necessary steps to bring Hasina back to the country, following the tribunal鈥檚 arrest warrant.
Prosecutors selected Hasina, Asaduzzaman and Mamun as the accused in the tribunal鈥檚 first July uprising case, citing their superior command role in the alleged crimes.
As of August 3, 2025, prisons are holding 165 high-profile individuals accused in July鈥揂ugust cases, according to the Department of Prisons.
On July 2, the tribunal sentenced Hasina to six months in jail for contempt of court over a leaked phone call, made while in India, in which she said, 鈥業 have had 227 cases filed against me, so I have a licence to kill 227 people.
