UKHRUL, NOV 18: The Bangladesh Awami League has sharply rejected a verdict delivered on Monday by the International Crimes Tribunal against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and several party figures, calling the ruling unlawful and politically motivated.
In a statement issued after the judgment, the party alleged that the ICT had been used to “settle scores” and claimed that the proceedings disregarded established legal processes. The Awami League accused the current administration, led by Muhammad Yunus, of engineering the case as part of a wider campaign against the party and the ideals of the Liberation War.
Calling the verdict a “conspiracy” backed by forces opposed to Bangladesh’s independence history, the statement said the ruling would not be accepted by party supporters or the public.
In response, the Awami League announced a series of countrywide protest actions. Nationwide shutdown on November 18, and Demonstrations and protest rallies across the country from November 19-20.
The party has urged its members and supporters to join the programmes, framing them as a stand against what it calls an attack on democratic institutions.
Also read Bangladesh Court Begins Verdict in High-Profile Case Against Sheikh Hasina
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s former PM Sheikh Hasina has denounced the guilty verdict and death sentence handed to her in a crimes-against-humanity trial, calling the ruling “biased and politically motivated.”
Sheikh Hasina dismissed the charges against her, linked to an alleged deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising that forced her from power, after defying court orders to return to Dhaka. In a statement, she accused the unelected government of using a “rigged tribunal” to deliver a politically driven verdict, saying the process lacked fairness and legitimacy. She maintained she is willing to face her accusers, but only before a tribunal she considers lawful and impartial.