ICT Verdict Nears: Sheikh Hasina Alleges Yunus Framed on Baseless Charges

With the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) set to deliver its verdict, Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed supporters virtually, condemning the trial against her as “entirely illegal” and driven by political motives.

Hasina alleged that Interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus and his allies were using the tribunal to “punish” her through a process that she said “violates every principle of justice.” She reiterated that the charges filed against her were fabricated and aimed at removing her from the political landscape.

Hasina, along with former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, faces accusations of murder, attempted murder, torture and other inhumane acts linked to the violent 2024 protests sparked by a controversial government job quota system.

Calls For Lockdown, Sharp Attacks On Interim Govt
Appealing to her party cadres, Hasina urged them to enforce a nationwide lockdown, declaring that threats and violence “cannot silence” her or the Awami League. She accused supporters of the Yunus administration of killing civilians and setting people on fire during last year’s unrest, calling it an assault on Bangladesh’s citizens “unlike anything seen before.”

She contrasted her tenure—during which, she said, laws were strengthened to prosecute atrocities including crimes against women during the 1971 Liberation War—with the current situation, claiming that “criminals have become the heroes of July” under the interim government.

Signals Possible Return To Politics
Hasina, who fled to India on August 5, 2024 amid escalating violence, suggested she may still consider a political return. However, she insisted it would only be possible if Bangladesh holds “free, fair and participatory elections” that allow all major parties, including the Awami League, to contest.

She argued her ouster was not a result of political decline, but of a deliberate effort to destabilise her government. Hasina claimed that armed elements infiltrated the student-led protest movement, pointing to “military-grade weapons in civilian hands” and “coordinated arson on state institutions.” Staying in Dhaka, she said, would have led to a “bloodbath.”

Criticism Of Yunus Administration
Hasina labelled the Yunus-led interim government as unelected and illegitimate, accusing it of undermining the constitution, enabling attacks on minorities and releasing individuals linked to extremist organisations. She asserted that political stability would only return when citizens regained their democratic rights.

From India, she also criticised the interim government’s outreach to Pakistan, calling its recent military-level engagement an attempt at “international validation.” She accused Yunus of trying to “rewrite history” by seeking closer ties with Islamabad, which she noted has never apologised for the 1971 atrocities.

Tense Calm As ICT Verdict Looms
Meanwhile, Bangladesh authorities deployed heavy security across Dhaka and several districts following sporadic arson attacks and crude bomb explosions. Tensions remain high as the nation awaits the ICT’s ruling—a decision that could once again reshape Bangladesh’s political trajectory.