DHAKA : The announcement immediately triggered nationwide disruptions, with the now-banned Awami League enforcing a protest “lockdown” that shut schools, halted transportation and ignited fresh political tensions across the country.
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal confirmed on November 13 that it would pronounce its verdict in the high-profile case accusing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of crimes against humanity linked to last year’s student-led July Uprising, which left hundreds dead.
Hasina, tried in absentia after being declared a fugitive, is charged alongside her former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. While Hasina and Kamal remain abroad, Mamun appeared before the tribunal and turned approver, acknowledging his role and detailing the involvement of his co-accused in suppressing the protests. The date was finalized by ICT-BD chair Justice Mohammad Golam Mortuza Majumder.
The tribunal announcement immediately rippled across the country. On Thursday, schools and colleges in Dhaka and major cities shifted to online classes and examinations, while public transportation came to a standstill amid the Awami League’s nationwide protest call. The interim government responded with heightened security, even as crude bomb explosions and vehicle burnings were reported over the last three days.
Political unrest continues to intensify as the banned Awami League urges supporters to take to the streets, while rival groups and government forces vow to prevent further escalation. Bangladesh, long marked by cycles of political violence, now faces an increasingly volatile atmosphere ahead of the tribunal’s ruling.
Sheikh Hasina was ousted on August 5 last year following weeks of bloody unrest. Although the interim government has pledged parliamentary elections in February, the Awami League has mounted an aggressive online campaign rejecting the polls unless the party is allowed to participate.
The International Crimes Tribunal's decision to announce the verdict for Sheikh Hasina on November 17 has plunged Bangladesh into turmoil. The banned Awami League's protest lockdown has disrupted daily life, while political tensions rise. As the interim government boosts security, the nation awaits the outcome of a case linked to last year's deadly student uprising.