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The International Crime Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh on Thursday announced that it will deliver its verdict on November 17 in the case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who faces charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, related to the July uprising last year.
The verdict by the ICT comes amid a nationwide lockdown called by Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League, disrupting normal life across the country, including in the capital, Dhaka. Security forces, including the army and police, have been deployed at airports and key installations nationwide following the announcement of a nationwide dawn-to-dusk lockdown by the political party today. Since the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser, has banned the activities of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations, party leaders have been announcing the programme through social media from undisclosed locations. Over the past two days, there have been reports of vehicle arson and crude bomb (cocktail) explosions in various parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka. Awami League supporters have also held flash rallies across the nation. Meanwhile, police have launched operations nationwide to arrest party leaders and activists, while security forces have set up checkpoints and vehicle searches on major roads. In July 2024, a student-led uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina's government in Bangladesh. On August 5, 2024, the former Prime Minister fled to India, and an interim government was subsequently formed under the leadership of Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser. According to a United Nations report, around 1,400 people may have died during the July protests. Sheikh Hasina's administration originally established the International Crimes Tribunal to prosecute crimes against humanity committed during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan. The tribunal previously tried several Jamaat-e-Islami leaders accused of war crimes during Hasina's tenure. The current interim government has initiated legal proceedings against Sheikh Hasina in the same tribunal, following amendments to its legal framework. Testimonies in the case have been completed, and the tribunal is set to announce the verdict against the former Prime Minister on November 17. (ANI)
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