Tension high as Bangladesh tribunal convicts ex-PM Hasina

Bangladesh has beefed up information arsenic proceedings mulls charges of crimes against humanity for Hasina – presently successful exile successful India – owed to 2024 crackdown connected protests that killed hundreds.

Tensions are precocious successful Bangladesh arsenic a tribunal has convicted fugitive erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina connected charges of crimes against humanity.

Security was beefed up successful the superior Dhaka and crossed the state arsenic rival factions anticipated the ruling of the peculiar tribunal, which was announced connected Monday.

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The prosecution is seeking the decease punishment for Hasina, 78, who has been successful exile successful India since an uprising past twelvemonth that killed hundreds of radical and ended her 15-year rule.

The United Nations says up to 1,400 radical were killed and thousands injured successful a crackdown arsenic Hasina tried to cling to power.

Bangladesh has been led by an interim authorities since, and has been mired successful governmental turmoil. Violence has marred campaigning for elections, expected successful February 2026, that volition take a caller government.

Authorities and the subject are braced for imaginable violence.

Security forces person surrounded the tribunal since the day of the verdict was acceptable connected Thursday, with armoured vehicles manning checkpoints.

Dhaka Municipal Police spokesperson Talebur Rahman said the unit would stay connected precocious alert, and that astir fractional the city’s 34,000 constabulary would beryllium connected work connected Monday.

‘Kangaroo court’

Hasina defied tribunal orders that she instrumentality from India to be the trial. The former-PM’s Awami League enactment has labelled the tribunal a “kangaroo court” and called for a nationwide shutdown.

In a connection to supporters, Hasina insisted that the allegations against her are false.

A antheral holds a poster successful beforehand of the tribunal demanding superior punishment for Hasina, successful Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 17, 2025 (Reuters)

“Let them contented a verdict. I don’t care. God gave maine life, God volition instrumentality it, but I volition support moving for the radical of my country. I person mislaid my parents, my siblings, and they burned down my home,” the erstwhile person said, according to India’s NDTV.

“I americium telling my enactment workers: Don’t worry, it is simply a substance of time. I cognize you are suffering, we volition not hide this, everything volition beryllium accounted for,” she added.

‘Use lethal weapons’

Prosecutors person filed 5 charges against Hasina, including nonaccomplishment to forestall murder, which magnitude to crimes against humanity nether Bangladeshi law.

Secret telephone telephone recordings, accessed by Al Jazeera, person revealed that Hasina “issued an unfastened order” to “use lethal weapons” connected protesters and sprout “wherever they find them”.

“Justice volition beryllium served according to the law,” Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam told reporters erstwhile the verdict day was acceptable past week.

The proceedings has heard months of grounds alleging that the erstwhile person ordered wide killings. Hasina has called the proceedings a “jurisprudential joke”.

Her co-accused see erstwhile Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal – besides a fugitive – and erstwhile constabulary main Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who is successful custody and has pleaded guilty.

Hasina was assigned a state-appointed lawyer for the trial, but she has refused to recognise the court’s authority.

Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed, who was besides an advisor to her government, earlier predicted to reporters that his parent would beryllium recovered blameworthy and sentenced to death.

However, helium added that Hasina is harmless and volition beryllium protected by Indian information forces.