(MENAFN- Live Mint) Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) on Thursday declared that it will deliver the verdict against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 17 November, following her trial in absentia for alleged crimes against humanity.

“The three-judge tribunal set November 17 for delivering the verdict,” a journalist attending the tightly secured special court in the capital told PTI.

Hasina, her home minister in the ousted Awami League government, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and then inspector general of police (IGP) or police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun were tried in the tribunal. The ex-premier and Kamal were tried in absentia, with the court declaring them fugitives, PTI reported.

Also Read | Jihadi militants paid by USAID to oust Sheikh Hasina from B'desh, claims ex-min

ICT-BD Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam had earlier sought the death penalty for the accused.

Mamun, who appeared in person during the trial, later became an approver, serving as a state witness.

Former police chief Mamun stood in the dock as ICT-BD Chair Justice Mohammad Golam Mortuza Majumder set the verdict date.

The tribunal wrapped up hearings on October 23 after more than 28 working days, during which 54 witnesses testified about the attempts to suppress the student-led 'July Uprising' that ultimately brought down Sheikh Hasina's now-dissolved Awami League government on August 5, 2024.

The Bangladesh capital on Thursday woke up to a heightened security vigil over the“Dhaka lockdown” call by the Awami League, coinciding with a tribunal's announcement of the verdict date.

Authorities called up army troops, paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police in riot gear to spread a security blanket in and around the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) complex at central Dhaka.

The security vigil amid the Awami League called“lockdown” prompted thousands to stay indoors.

Also Read | Who is Mahmudul Hasan Joy? Bangladesh batter scores century on return

Witnesses and reports said Dhaka streets looked unusually empty, though many commuters stepped out of their homes and cautiously headed for workplaces and schools.

However, many private institutions, including private universities, preferred to operate online, fearing the outbreak of violence.

Transport operators said passenger numbers on long-haul buses leaving Dhaka dropped sharply, while the capital's major Gabtoli bus terminal remained largely empty with fewer trips and delayed departures.

Hasina and the two others were accused of committing crimes under five counts, with the first one alleging the defendants of murder, attempted murder, torture, and other inhumane acts.

The second count accused Hasina of ordering the“extermination” of protesters. Under the third count, she was accused of making inflammatory remarks and ordering the use of deadly weapons against protesting students.

Under the rest of the counts, the defendants were charged with the shooting and murder of six unarmed protesters, including students in Dhaka and its suburbs.

In several recent interviews with major international news outlets and the Indian media, Hasina called the ICT-BD a“kangaroo court” run entirely by men linked to her political opponents.

In an emailed interview to PTI published on Wednesday, Hasina said she was prepared to stand trial under international supervision“even at the International Criminal Court” in The Hague, but alleged that Yunus has avoided such a process because an impartial tribunal would acquit her.

Also Read | 'I'd love to go home': Sheikh Hasina reveals when she'll return to Bangladesh

“I have repeatedly challenged Yunus' government to prosecute me in the International Criminal Court, if it is so confident of its case. Yunus continues to duck this challenge because he knows that the ICC, a genuinely impartial tribunal, would certainly acquit me,” she said.

UK-based leading law firm Doughty House Chambers earlier this week submitted an“urgent appeal” to the United Nations, saying Hasina was being tried in“an environment charged with political vengeance, under an unelected interim government with no democratic mandate”.

Last month, the Awami League applied to the Hague-based ICC, accusing the Yunus-led interim administration of crimes against humanity, including killings and arbitrary arrests of its members.

Also Read | Why Bangladesh's Yunus rolls out red carpet for Pak General Shamshad Mirza

Former foreign minister in Hasina's cabinet, AK Abdul Momen, who previously served as Bangladesh's permanent representative to the United Nations, last month sent a letter to the UN Human Rights Council, detailing allegations of“political suppression, enforced disappearances, cases against military officers, impunity for criminals, and attacks on journalists”.

(With inputs from PTI)

MENAFN13112025007365015876ID1110337832