Opinion
The alleged verdict ordering the death penalty for Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina at the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh is not actually a verdict, it is just an issue.
After August 5, 2024, the leaders and activists of the Awami League went into hiding. Many leaders and activists were arrested and sent to prison. At that time, a large part of the population of Bangladesh thought that the beneficiaries and officials of Sheikh Hasina’s government would be tried and brought under the law. But as time passed, it was seen that not only the officials of Sheikh Hasina’s government, but also anyone who supports the Awami League, including Sheikh Hasina, was being subjected to repression, torture and lawlessness in the name of trial. It is also noteworthy that mob violence with the support of the state is taking place, arson and looting of the homes of people supported by the Awami League is taking place, freedom fighters are being hanged with shoe chains, teachers, bureaucrats, journalists and other independent professionals are being subjected to torture if they are supporters of the Awami League. Over time, it is seen that whenever someone says something justly against the government, they are subjected to the bloodshed and attacks of the government. The current reality of Bangladesh is that Sheikh Hasina’s supporters, supporters of the Liberation War, groups opposed to the government’s repressive policies, all have fallen under the wrath of the government and are being humiliated, indiscriminately killed, women and men are being tortured, countless women are being raped through mob terrorism. This is a jihad against the Liberation War, a conspiracy against Bangladesh.
In light of the situation, I wrote an article titled “The President’s reference sent to the Appellate Division to form an interim government in the current extreme circumstances should be recalled” taking up the issue of the legitimacy of the government, which was published on the online portal ‘bddigest.com’ on November 01, 2025. I also wrote many articles on the trial of the International Crimes Tribunal. The latest article titled “There is no law, yet the trial of the law (!) is a shameful chapter” was published on November 16, 2025 in bddigest. The legal issues I raised may not have come to the attention of the authorities at the moment, but I am hopeful that its effectiveness will be reflected in the passage of time.
Although the trial itself is questionable in light of the statements in my published article, let’s discuss how the verdict was reached and why.
First of all: How was the verdict?
When the International Criminal Tribunal Act, 1973 was enacted, the tribunal was called ‘international’ because some crimes defined in international law were included as crimes. Now that the act has been amended by an ordinance and the tribunal has been formed, has the alleged verdict against Sheikh Hasina upheld international standards? Look, international standards are determined through what is mentioned in the Rome Statute. Article 63 of the Rome Statute states that the accused cannot be tried in absentia. In light of the aforementioned Article 63, the trial in Sheikh Hasina’s absence has violated international standards. Moreover, think about it, given the way the tribunal was applauded when the verdict was announced, can the alleged tribunal be called a tribunal of international standards or not?
See, there was a complete lack of evidence regarding the alleged order of the Prime Minister. IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun did not testify that he received any order from Sheikh Hasina to suppress the protests or kill the protesters. No other police officer gave such testimony either. Moreover, the number of dead could not be determined correctly, there is no autopsy report of any dead person, Sheikh Hasina’s audio message was taken into consideration without being examined according to international standards, there is no seizure list, there is no post-mortem report of the body, there are no eyewitnesses, the lawyer appointed by the state for the absent accused is not of international standards, the senior lawyer of the Supreme Court is not an experienced lawyer, while a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court had expressed his interest in volunteering, but the tribunal did not appoint him, and many other shortcomings can be said if we get a copy of the judgment. With so many important flaws in the judicial process and lack of evidence, the decision of the tribunal is completely unsupported.
Another important issue in the verdict is the punishment of the witness. From what I heard on television about the alleged verdict, it is noteworthy that there is a heavy reliance on the testimony of IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun regarding the death penalty for the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Home Minister. Convicting IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun and sentencing him to five years in prison means sentencing the witness. This is a serious legal irregularity. Such a precedent is absent in the judicial history. This is a clear violation of Article 35, Sub-section 4 of the Constitution of Bangladesh. It is enshrined in Article 35 of the Constitution under the title ‘Protection of Justice and Punishment’.
Article 35(4) of the Constitution states, “No person accused of any offence shall be compelled to testify against himself.” The fact that IGP Mamun was repeatedly taken into remand and tortured and made a witness against himself, and his conviction, proves that he was compelled to testify against himself. On this one point, the alleged verdict will be quashed and the judges who gave the verdict will face trial for violating the said article of the Constitution.
The question is, then why this controversial ruling?
(1) Creating issues to make anti-India statements.
(2) Creating the issue of the verdict and keeping the people busy, handing over the country’s ports to foreigners.
(3) To persecute, oppress and use mob violence against those who make fair and reasonable criticisms of the verdict.
You are all already witnessing these.
Look, 1001 teachers from various public universities have given statements criticizing the verdict in a rational manner. Among them, the teachers from Dhaka University are in the majority. DUCSU representatives have engaged in mob violence against them, calling them Awami dosar (friends of the Awami League). Efforts have been made to remove them from Dhaka University.
The occupying forces, who have taken the name of the interim government, have pushed Bangladesh towards an undesirable future by creating an issue called the so-called verdict. Therefore, it can be said without hesitation that this is not a verdict, but an issue created by vested interests. In this situation, I would like to tell all the citizens of the country, try to be conscientious, be vocal against injustice, dedicate themselves to establishing the rule of law, and play a role in protecting the dignity of Sonar Bangla from each and every position.
https://stapravda.ru/20221228/reyting_samyh_populyarnyh_hostingov_v_rossii_196445.html, рейтинг хостингов России подтверждает, что выбор надежного провайдера важен для бизнеса.