With the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) preparing to deliver its verdict, Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed her supporters virtually, strongly condemning the proceedings against her as “entirely illegal.”
Hasina alleged that Interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus and his associates had engineered a plan to “punish” her through a process she claimed violated established legal norms. She reiterated that the charges filed against her were false, politically driven and intended to undermine her legacy.
Hasina, along with former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, is facing charges of murder, attempted murder, torture and other inhumane acts linked to the violent 2024 protests over the controversial government job quota system.
Call for Nationwide Lockdown
In her address, Hasina urged her supporters to take to the streets and enforce a nationwide lockdown, asserting that intimidation and violence “cannot silence” her.
She accused Yunus’s supporters of killing civilians and setting people on fire during last year’s unrest, describing it as an unprecedented assault on ordinary citizens. Hasina emphasised that, under the Awami League government, laws had been strengthened to prosecute atrocities, including violence against women during the 1971 Liberation War. By contrast, she claimed that “criminals have become the heroes of July” under the current interim administration.
Signals of a Possible Political Comeback
Hasina also hinted at a possible return to politics but said the decision would depend on Bangladesh’s political environment.
Having fled to India on 5 August 2024 amid spiralling violence, she stated she would consider re-entering politics only if Bangladesh holds “free, fair and participatory elections” with all major political parties— including the Awami League—allowed to contest.
She argued that her removal was not the result of political decline but a coordinated effort to destabilise her government. She blamed violent elements for hijacking the student protest movement, citing the presence of “military-grade weapons in civilian hands” and the “coordinated burning of state institutions.” Remaining in Dhaka, she added, would have risked a “bloodbath.”
Sharp Criticism of Yunus Administration
Hasina launched a scathing attack on the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, branding it unelected, illegitimate and responsible for pushing Bangladesh into deep instability.
She warned that rising attacks on minorities, the erosion of constitutional safeguards and the release of individuals linked to extremist organisations indicated a regime operating without public mandate. According to her, stability can only be restored once citizens' political rights are reinstated and democratic institutions revived.
Speaking from India, Hasina also criticised the interim government’s outreach to Pakistan, calling recent military-level engagements an attempt to secure international validation. She accused Yunus of trying to “rewrite history” by courting Islamabad, despite Pakistan’s failure to apologise for the atrocities committed in 1971.
Nation on Edge Ahead of Tribunal Verdict
Bangladesh authorities enforced heightened security across Dhaka and other districts overnight following sporadic arson attacks and crude bomb explosions.
Tensions remain high as the nation awaits the ICT ruling— a decision widely expected to reshape Bangladesh’s political landscape once again.
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