The verdict in the first case against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and three others accused of crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising will be announced today. The case is scheduled for verdict by a three-member bench headed by International Crimes Tribunal-1 judge Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder. The other two members of the tribunal are Justice Md. Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Justice Md. Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury. Along with Sheikh Hasina, the other two accused in the case are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. Out of them, former IGP Mamun has given his statement as an ‘approver’ (royal witness). Sheikh Hasina and Kamal are absconding in India. Warrants have been issued against them by the tribunal. The verdict is being given in their absence today. Former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, the only arrested of the three accused, will be brought to the court from jail for the verdict. The government has taken the strictest security measures in the tribunal and Supreme Court premises today. A letter was sent to the army headquarters on Sunday by the Supreme Court seeking the deployment of the army for additional security. As per the previous announcement, family members of those injured and martyred in the mass uprising will also be present at the tribunal premises.

The entire nation is now waiting to hear this long-awaited historic verdict. The eyes of many countries around the world, including Bangladesh, are now on this verdict. As a result, considering the transparency and importance of the trial process, a decision has been made to broadcast it live. So that the common people like domestic and foreign observers can also witness it. For the first time, the nation will hear a verdict on the July genocide issue, which will be a major milestone in the history of the country’s justice. This was announced by the prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday. In addition, the Ministry of Culture has organized a verdict announcement ceremony on big screens at various important points in the capital. The prosecution said that in addition to seeking the maximum punishment of death for the accused, their properties have been requested to be confiscated and handed over to the families of the martyrs and injured victims. The prosecution will accept the order given by the tribunal in the interest of justice. This is the first verdict in the tribunal reconstituted after the July uprising.

The International Crimes Tribunal was reconstituted after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. The first case (miscase or miscellaneous case) in the reconstituted tribunal was against Sheikh Hasina for crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising. The first trial hearing was held in the reconstituted tribunal on October 17 last year. On the same day, the tribunal issued an arrest warrant against Sheikh Hasina in this case.

Initially, Sheikh Hasina was the only accused in the case. On March 16 of this year, the prosecution (state side) applied to make former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun an accused in the case along with Sheikh Hasina. The tribunal granted it. Later, the name of former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal appeared in the charge sheet. On June 1, the prosecution filed a formal charge against Sheikh Hasina and three other accused in the tribunal. A total of five charges were brought against the three accused in the formal charge.

The charges against Sheikh Hasina and the three others are: Sheikh Hasina’s provocative speech at a press conference held at Ganabhaban on July 14 last year; ordering the use of helicopters, drones and lethal weapons to eliminate protesters; shooting dead Abu Sayeed, a student of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur; shooting dead six protesters in the capital’s Chankharpul area and burning six people in Ashulia. The tribunal framed formal charges against the three accused on July 10 for these five charges. The accused Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan are absconding. Former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun is the only arrested accused in the case.

On the day of the formal indictment (July 10), former IGP Mamun openly admitted his involvement in crimes against humanity during the mass uprising and applied to become an ‘approver’ (royal witness). His application was accepted that day. The argument hearing in the case began on October 12. It ended on October 23. In the final hearing, the Chief Prosecutor sought the death penalty for Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan for crimes against humanity during the July mass uprising. State-appointed lawyer Md. Amir Hossain spoke on behalf of the accused Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman. He applied for the acquittal of Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman from the case during the argument hearing. His lawyer Zayed Bin Amjad applied to acquit former IGP Mamun, the royal witness. After presenting the arguments, the tribunal said that the verdict in the case would be announced on November 13. Accordingly, on November 13, the tribunal set November 17 as the date for announcing the verdict.

Women and men are equal in the verdict, punishment is given considering the type of crime: Meanwhile, Prosecutor Gazi Monwar Hussain Tamim gave a briefing at the International Crimes Tribunal premises on Sunday morning. He said that according to the CrPC Act, women, sick people and juveniles have privileges or special facilities in terms of bail. However, there is no provision for giving any additional facilities to women in terms of verdict in the general or tribunal law. That is, it does not matter whether the accused is a woman or a man. Rather, the punishment will be determined based on the gravity or seriousness of the crime he committed. And if the charges are not proven, the accused will be acquitted.

Tamim said, the date for announcing the verdict against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and three others in the case of crimes against humanity committed in July-August has been set. We hope that the tribunal will announce the verdict on the scheduled date. We, on behalf of the prosecution, are ready. In addition, subject to permission, all media outlets in the country will be able to broadcast the part of the verdict read out by the tribunal live through Bangladesh Television. He said, the prosecution has been able to prove all five charges brought in the case beyond doubt.

When asked whether the verdict in this case will have an impact on any other ongoing cases, the prosecutor said, “The few charges we brought during the July uprising will not continue if there is another case on the same charge. Because, according to the constitution, a person cannot be tried or punished twice for the same charge. However, if there are any charges outside of these (such as the Shapla Chattar massacre, disappearances, murders, corruption, money laundering, abuse of power, etc.), there is no obstacle to continuing.” He said that no new case can be filed anywhere else on the five charges that the tribunal is settling.

Regarding the allegations against Sheikh Hasina and three others, he said that the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called the protesting students as Razakars at a press conference held at Ganabhaban on July 14 last year. That was a provocative statement. In view of this, the same night, she spoke to the then Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Maqsood Kamal over the phone and ordered the torture and oppression of the protesting students. On July 18, she spoke to former mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh over the phone. Over the phone, she ordered the use of lethal weapons on the protesting students. At the same time, she ordered the use of helicopters to shoot and drones to determine the location of the students.

On Sunday, a journalist told the prosecutor that Sheikh Hasina is in India. The prosecution had requested Interpol to issue a red notice against her. Interpol did not respond in any way – in response, Prosecutor Gazi Monwar said that when the tribunal issued an arrest warrant against Sheikh Hasina, the prosecution had requested the issuance of a red notice through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If the verdict is tomorrow (today) and the tribunal punishes Sheikh Hasina in the verdict, then the prosecution will apply to Interpol for another ‘conviction warrant’ (warrant of punishment) to issue a red notice against her.

Shahriar Khan Pallas, father of Shahriar Khan Anas, a class 10 student who was shot dead by police in Chankharpul during the mass uprising, testified in this historic case. He is a witness in this case of killing six people and wants the accused to be hanged. Several comrades of the first martyr Abu Sayeed testified in this case. In addition, Nahid Islam, convener of the Jatiya Nagorik Party and leader of the July Movement, and Dr. Mahmudur Rahman, editor of Amar Desh Patrika, testified as star witnesses. A total of 54 witnesses testified in this case.

Those who testified for the state in the case: Khokon Chandra Barman, Abdullah Al Imran, Parveen Akhter, Rina Murmu, AKM Moinul Haque, Abdus Samad, Mizan Mia, Naeem Sikder, Shahina Begum, Md. Enab Nazez Zaki, Rabiul Awal, Jasim Uddin, Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman, Shahnaz Parveen, Dr. Hasanul Banna, Sonia Jamal, Md. Gias Uddin, Dr. Rajibul Islam, Shariful Islam, Dr. Khair Ahmed Chowdhury, Zakia Sultana Nila, Mohammad Idris, Amena Akhter, Hosne Ara Begum, Dr. Mofizur Rahman, Dr. Monirul Islam, Dr. Mostaq Ahmed, Nasir Uddin, Md. Saidur Rahman, Md. Mohid Hossain, Humayun Kabir Liton, Dr. Hasanat Al Matin, Tarek Nasrullah, Dr. Md. Rashidul Alam, Dr. Rahad Bin Kashem, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, Mohammad Hassan, Sohel Mahmud, Md. Ashraful Islam, Md. Zakir Hossain, Mohammad Sirajus Salehin, Iftekhar Alam, Sheikh Nazrul Islam, Md. Ruknuzzaman, Md. Shahed Jobayer Lorench, Mahmudur Rahman, Nahid Islam, Ali Ahsan Junayed, Sabrina Afroz Srabanti, Kamrul Hassan, Md. Kamrul Hossain, Anisur Rahman, Tanvir Hasan Joha and Investigation Officer Md. Alamgir.