The trial of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina began on 3 August, more than a year after she fled the country following a deadly crackdown on protesters. Hasina faces charges of crimes against humanity, including ordering the killing of at least 1,400 people during the July 2024 protests.
Among the victims was 11-year-old Rakib Hossain, who was shot in the head by police while standing on a street in Dhaka. His father, Abul Khayer, expressed anger that Hasina will not be present in court, as she remains in India despite extradition requests. 'I want to see Hasina tried in person,' Khayer said. 'She should face the families and answer for what she did.'
Hasina has refused to participate in the proceedings except to plead not guilty, and has been assigned a state-appointed defence lawyer as she is being tried in absentia. The trial is being held before three judges of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal, a court Hasina herself established while in power.
Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has struggled to deliver promised reforms and control law and order. With elections due in February, some fear the trial could become politicised. However, Khayer insisted it should proceed: 'I don't need her to sit in a dock to know what she did. She gave the orders. Everyone knows that. Let the world hear it.'
The trial is being live-streamed on television, except during sensitive witness testimony. Investigators are also preparing additional charges against Hasina for alleged atrocities during her 15-year rule, including enforced disappearances and the killing of opponents.
