A special tribunal in Bangladesh on Thursday indicted deposed premier Sheikh Hasina in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity in connection with a deadly crackdown on protesters during the July-August uprising last year.
The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT-BD) has set August 3 as the date for the trial.
The tribunal has “framed the charge against her (Hasina) alongside the home minister of her regime Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and (the then) inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun,” a prosecution lawyer told reporters.
The ICT bench, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, passed the order after rejecting a defence plea to dismiss the charges. The other two members of the tribunal are Justices Md Shofiul Alam Mahmood and Md Mohitul Haq Enam Chowdhury.
The prosecutors said Hasina along with the co-accused was indicted on five charges, including mass killings, murder, and torture to tame the protestors during last year’s July-August uprising.