Unease grips Bangladesh over deposed PM Hasina’s trial

Dhaka remained under tight security as authorities deployed troops ahead of the International Crimes Tribunal’s verdict date announcement against deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Awami League’s “lockdown” call led to empty streets, bus arson incidents, and public anxiety amid fears of unrest

Dhaka: The Bangladesh capital on Thursday woke up to heightened security vigil over the Dhaka lockdown call by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s now disbanded Awami League, coinciding with a tribunal’s planned announcement of a verdict date against her.

“The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) is set to go ahead with its scheduled task,” a prosecution team member of the special court briefly said.

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Authorities called up army troops, paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police in riot gear to spread a security blanket in and around the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) complex, while their security vigil amid the Awami League prompted thousands to stay indoors.

Witnesses and reports said Dhaka streets looked unusually empty, though many commuters stepped out of their homes and cautiously headed to workplaces and schools.

However, many private institutions, including universities, preferred to operate online, fearing the outbreak of violence.

“We are hearing all kinds of rumours, but like any other day, people are out on the streets. There’s no sense of fear among us,” an office-bound commuter told a private TV channel.

A private passenger bus driver, however, said the number of passengers was lower than other days, but city streets seemed busy almost as usual.

The media reports suggested unidentified people set fire to five empty buses in the capital, suburban Munshiganj, central Tangail, and Hasina’s hometown in southwestern Gopalganj, but no casualty was reported.

They said passenger numbers on long-haul buses leaving Dhaka have dropped sharply as the impact of the Awami League-declared “lockdown” became evident, while the capital’s major Gabtoli bus terminal remained largely empty with fewer trips and delayed departures.

The ICT-BD is set to announce the date for delivering a verdict in a case of crimes against humanity against Hasina, her then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kanal and former police chief Abdullah Al Manun.

They were accused of making attempts to particularly tame last year’s student-led movement called the July Uprising that toppled the Awami League regime on August 5, 2024.

Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam and his colleagues have demanded the death penalty for Hasina after they submitted a complaint to the tribunal on June 1 on five counts.

Count 1 accused the defendants of murder, attempted murder, torture, and other inhumane acts, while the second count accused Hasina of ordering the “extermination” of protesters, the third count accused her of making inflammatory remarks and ordering the use of deadly weapons against protesting students.

Under the rest of the counts, the defendants were charged with the shooting and murder of six unarmed protesters, including students in Dhaka and its suburbs.