Sheikh Hasina Officially Charged With Crimes Against Humanity In Bangladesh Over Crackdown On Protesters

Former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been officially charged with crimes against humanity by prosecutors of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday (1 June), reported The Indian express.

Hasina, who fled Dhaka after violent protests last year, has been charged for her alleged role in ordering mass killings during a nationwide uprising in Bangladesh in July 2024.

The charges, submitted by Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam and his team, accuse Hasina of being the chief instigator behind the violent crackdown that unfolded during the July and August unrest, according to The Dhaka Tribune.

Former Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Mamun, two prominent figures in her previous administration, have also been named as co-accused.

“The evidence points clearly to her role in directing the operation,” Islam told The Dhaka Tribune following the filing.

“This was a coordinated attack on civilians, and she bears command responsibility," Islam added.

The move came after submission of the 12 May investigation report that, for the first time, officially named Hasina as the authority who ordered the killings.

This comes weeks after the Awami League's entire activities were banned by Muhammad Yunus' interim government under the Anti-Terrorism Act.