Bangladesh War Crimes Court Summons Fugitive Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina for Trial

Dhaka, Bangladesh: Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal has ordered former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now a fugitive, to return and face trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity, stemming from a deadly crackdown during the final months of her rule.

Hasina, 77, fled the country by helicopter to India in August 2024, amid a nationwide student-led uprising that ultimately toppled her government. Despite an existing extradition request, she has so far refused to return.

According to United Nations estimates, as many as 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 during the violent suppression of protests under Hasina’s administration, which failed to retain power.

On Monday, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) directed the prosecution to serve an official notice summoning Hasina and other accused to appear in court. “The court directed the prosecution team to issue a notice as soon as possible,” said Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam.

The court has set 24 June as the date for the next hearing and confirmed the trial will proceed in absentia if Hasina does not return.

Hasina is facing five charges, including abetment, incitement, conspiracy, complicity, and failure to prevent mass killings — all of which fall under crimes against humanity in Bangladeshi law. She is being tried alongside two former officials from her now-banned Awami League government.

One co-accused, former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, is also a fugitive, while ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun is currently in custody and appeared in court on Monday.

The prosecutions have become a central issue in Bangladesh’s political landscape, as several opposition parties have demanded accountability for the 2024 crackdown. The country’s interim government has announced elections for April 2026, though pressure is mounting from some quarters for an earlier vote.

By RSS/AFP News