Bangladesh braces for fresh showdown tomorrow as Awami League calls for protest

The Bangladesh Awami League has called for nationwide protest on Wednesday, demanding the annulment of the International Crimes Tribunal's (ICT) verdict sentencing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death and the dissolution of the tribunal, setting the stage for fresh political confrontation in the country nearly two years after her ouster from power.

In a statement issued on Monday, the party urged its leaders, activists and supporters across Bangladesh to participate in protest rallies and demonstrations against what it described as the tribunal's "illegal verdict" and the "illegal and unconstitutional" court that delivered it.

A three-member tribunal had sentenced Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death in November last year after finding them guilty of crimes against humanity linked to the government's response to the July-August 2024 protests. The tribunal convicted Hasina on charges including incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities during the uprising.

The court held that the former prime minister bore responsibility for the use of lethal force against demonstrators during the unrest, which began as a student-led movement against a quota system in government jobs before evolving into a nationwide anti-government campaign. Prosecutors argued that Hasina directly ordered security forces to suppress the protests through deadly means.

The party said that under Sheikh Hasina's leadership, Bangladesh achieved significant socio-economic progress and earned international recognition, including its transition from a least developed country to a middle-income nation. According to the statement, her government's central focus was improving the living standards of ordinary citizens.

Besides the death sentence, Hasina was also handed an additional sentence of imprisonment until natural death on other charges linked to inflammatory remarks and the alleged deployment of helicopters, drones and lethal weapons against protesters, according to court proceedings.

Rejecting the verdict, Awami League alleged that during Hasina's tenure, politically motivated violence and anti-state conspiracies were carried out by what it termed "anti-people terrorist groups," which it claimed attempted to implicate the former prime minister in various incidents. The party further claimed that Hasina had sought independent international investigations into those incidents, but alleged that those responsible had refused to cooperate.

The statement also accused the current administration under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of suppressing demands for justice and the rule of law through state repression, political violence and mob intimidation. It claimed that Bangladesh had become an insecure country where citizens lacked adequate protection for their lives and property.

The Awami League alleged that the government had failed to ensure public safety while using state institutions to target political opponents. It further claimed that the current administration lacked a democratic mandate and had resorted to repressive measures to conceal shortcomings in governance.

Addressing the broader political situation, the party alleged that state power had been seized through coercive means and that government institutions were being used to persecute opposition figures. It claimed that judicial proceedings had become politicised and described both the establishment of the tribunal and its rulings as unlawful and unconstitutional.

The statement also referred to Sheikh Hasina as "the voice of the people" and alleged that she had been sentenced to death through what it described as an illegitimate judicial process aimed at silencing her politically. The party called on citizens to oppose both the tribunal and its verdict, arguing that such opposition was necessary to protect democratic principles and the interests of the country.

Hasina and Khan were tried in absentia after fleeing to India following the collapse of the Awami League government. Bangladesh has since sought their extradition from India, although New Delhi has not indicated that it will comply with the request.