Bangladesh’s former PM Sheikh Hasina has been formally charged with crimes against humanity for her alleged role in the deadly crackdown on student-led protests during the July 2024 uprising.
Charges were also filed against two senior officials of her government, prosecutors said on Sunday, June 1.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam, presenting the case before a special tribunal, said Hasina “directly ordered” operations by security forces, ruling party workers, and allied groups that led to mass killings. “These killings were not spontaneous — they were planned and coordinated,” he said, citing video footage and encrypted communications retrieved during the investigation.
The tribunal has listed 81 individuals as witnesses in the case. Prosecutors argued that as the country’s head of government at the time, Hasina bears command responsibility for the actions of state forces during the unrest.
Hasina stepped down in August 2024 after nearly 15 years in power amid mounting pressure from weeks of protests. She later left the country and is currently believed to be in New Delhi. Along with the current charges, she also faces separate corruption allegations along with some of her family members.
