Friday, 17 October, 2025
International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam on Tuesday told the tribunal that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “command responsibility” has been established in the prosecution’s case in the crimes against humanity trial.
The hearing, which entered its third day, concluded the prosecution’s arguments for the day, with proceedings scheduled to continue on Wednesday.
The prosecution began its case on Sunday, presenting arguments on two of the five charges leveled against Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
To establish crimes against humanity, the prosecution focused on proving “widespread attack” and “systematic attack”.
Tajul argued that both have been proven against Hasina during the three-day hearing.
Under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the terms “widespread attack” and “systematic attack” are part of the definition of crimes against humanity. The chief prosecutor claimed that Hasina committed both forms of the crime.
On the second day of argument, to substantiate “widespread attack”, Tajul referred to incidents between Jul 16 and Aug 5, 2024, citing contemporary media reports.
He read excerpts describing coordinated assaults across the country involving law-enforcing agencies, Awami League members, and Bangladesh Chhatra League activists.
Under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the terms “widespread attack” and “systematic attack” are part of the definition of crimes against humanity. The chief prosecutor claimed that Hasina committed both forms of the crime.
To demonstrate “systematic attack”, he played audio recordings of conversations allegedly involving Hasina, Hasanul Haq Inu, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, and the then Dhaka University vice-chancellor ASM Maksud Kamal.
According to the prosecution, the audio clips revealed discussions about using lethal weapons, deploying paratroopers from helicopters, carrying out bomb attacks, arresting protesters, and assaulting state institutions to blame demonstrators, as well as other planned operations.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam also cited remarks by Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, arguing that later attacks by Chhatra League members on general students were “pre-planned.”
On the third day of hearings, the tribunal was shown Hasina’s July 24, 2024, press conference at Ganabhaban, along with nine mobile phone videos recorded from different parts of the country.
The footage reportedly included shootings, including the killings of Abu Sayed and several other unnamed victims in Jatrabari and Rampura, police firing in Chankharpul, and scenes of a body being disposed of from an armoured vehicle.
“There are thousands of such videos,” Tajul said, adding that only a few had been presented in court.
The tribunal also heard a police wireless message containing instructions for attacks on protesters.
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International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam on Tuesday told the tribunal that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “command responsibility” has been established in the prosecution’s case in the crimes against humanity trial.
The hearing, which entered its third day, concluded the prosecution’s arguments for the day, with proceedings scheduled to continue on Wednesday.
The prosecution began its case on Sunday, presenting arguments on two of the five charges leveled against Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
To establish crimes against humanity, the prosecution focused on proving “widespread attack” and “systematic attack”.
Tajul argued that both have been proven against Hasina during the three-day hearing.
Under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the terms “widespread attack” and “systematic attack” are part of the definition of crimes against humanity. The chief prosecutor claimed that Hasina committed both forms of the crime.
On the second day of argument, to substantiate “widespread attack”, Tajul referred to incidents between Jul 16 and Aug 5, 2024, citing contemporary media reports.
He read excerpts describing coordinated assaults across the country involving law-enforcing agencies, Awami League members, and Bangladesh Chhatra League activists.
Under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the terms “widespread attack” and “systematic attack” are part of the definition of crimes against humanity. The chief prosecutor claimed that Hasina committed both forms of the crime.
To demonstrate “systematic attack”, he played audio recordings of conversations allegedly involving Hasina, Hasanul Haq Inu, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, and the then Dhaka University vice-chancellor ASM Maksud Kamal.
According to the prosecution, the audio clips revealed discussions about using lethal weapons, deploying paratroopers from helicopters, carrying out bomb attacks, arresting protesters, and assaulting state institutions to blame demonstrators, as well as other planned operations.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam also cited remarks by Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, arguing that later attacks by Chhatra League members on general students were “pre-planned.”
On the third day of hearings, the tribunal was shown Hasina’s July 24, 2024, press conference at Ganabhaban, along with nine mobile phone videos recorded from different parts of the country.
The footage reportedly included shootings, including the killings of Abu Sayed and several other unnamed victims in Jatrabari and Rampura, police firing in Chankharpul, and scenes of a body being disposed of from an armoured vehicle.
“There are thousands of such videos,” Tajul said, adding that only a few had been presented in court.
The tribunal also heard a police wireless message containing instructions for attacks on protesters.
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