Wednesday, 29 October, 2025
The Awami League (AL) has petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) via London lawyer Steven Powles KC, seeking an investigation into alleged retaliatory killings, unlawful imprisonment, and persecution of party affiliates following the July 2024 Movement, a student-led protest over quota reform that escalated into one of Bangladesh’s deadliest recent political upheavals.
The move has sparked debate, with analysts and human rights observers questioning whether the appeal is a genuine call for justice or a political manoeuvre, especially given reports that nearly 2,000 civilians — mostly students and youth — were killed by AL-led security forces. These deaths cast a long shadow over the petition, highlighting urgent questions of accountability and the human cost of political conflict.
According to a February 2025 UN OHCHR report, around 1,400 people were killed between 1 July and 15 August 2024, with thousands more injured or detained. Security forces reportedly deployed live ammunition, rubber bullets, and tear gas against largely unarmed demonstrators, while independent investigations documented extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture in custody. The violent suppression triggered a political crisis, culminating in the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government and her flight from the country.
Steven Powles KC in his ICC filing alleges that since July 2024, approximately 400 Awami League leaders and activists have been killed, many subject to beatings and lynchings. Witness testimonies and video evidence detail “brutal killings”, while at least 25 figures reportedly died in custody under suspicious circumstances despite official claims of natural causes. The filing also cites Operation Devil Hunt, a February 2025 crackdown by the interim government that saw 18,000 arrests over 12 days, targeting politicians, journalists, judges, and even public figures with loose ties to the Awami League.
The Article 15 communication criticises the October 14, 2024 Immunity Order, which protected participants in the July Uprising, describing it as a “vehicle for impunity” that enabled state tolerance of violent reprisals. The filing stresses that, if left uninvestigated domestically, these alleged offences constitute crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the ICC Statute, warranting urgent international scrutiny.
Steven Powles KC said: “No one is above the law. If victims cannot obtain justice in their own country, it is vital to bring these crimes to the ICC for a thorough and impartial investigation.”
The submission includes accounts from relatives of victims, such as Shahin Alam, whose brother Shamim Molla was abducted and killed after Dr Yunus assumed power in August 2024. Alam described Bangladesh as descending into a state of lawlessness, with known criminals released and fundamentalist actors placed in positions of authority.
The ICC filing represents a potentially pivotal step towards accountability, raising critical questions about justice, political reprisals, and human rights in Bangladesh. Analysts emphasise that the case could set an important precedent for addressing systematic, politically motivated violence during periods of political transition.
However, analysts and legal experts argue that the petition may serve political objectives rather than a genuine pursuit of justice. Reports indicate that many of the alleged deaths of AL workers were not directly linked to the July Movement, but instead resulted from their involvement in criminal activities, including violent reprisals against students and civilians during the protests.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that a number of AL activists actively participated in assaults, contributing to the unrest and civilian casualties. Critics say this context is largely absent from the ICC filing, raising questions about the narrative being presented to the international community.
The move has drawn scrutiny for potentially reframing accountability as victimhood, portraying party members as passive victims rather than participants in a chaotic and violent period. Legal experts caution that conflating criminal responsibility with political persecution could undermine the credibility of the petition and obscure the broader lessons of the July Movement, including the need for comprehensive investigations into all actors involved.
While the filing underscores the urgency of addressing political violence in Bangladesh, its framing has ignited debate over whether it represents a true quest for justice or a calculated attempt to influence international perception, shifting focus away from the complex realities of the July 2024 protests and the role of AL-affiliated actors in the resulting deaths and chaos.
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The Awami League (AL) has petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) via London lawyer Steven Powles KC, seeking an investigation into alleged retaliatory killings, unlawful imprisonment, and persecution of party affiliates following the July 2024 Movement, a student-led protest over quota reform that escalated into one of Bangladesh’s deadliest recent political upheavals.
The move has sparked debate, with analysts and human rights observers questioning whether the appeal is a genuine call for justice or a political manoeuvre, especially given reports that nearly 2,000 civilians — mostly students and youth — were killed by AL-led security forces. These deaths cast a long shadow over the petition, highlighting urgent questions of accountability and the human cost of political conflict.
According to a February 2025 UN OHCHR report, around 1,400 people were killed between 1 July and 15 August 2024, with thousands more injured or detained. Security forces reportedly deployed live ammunition, rubber bullets, and tear gas against largely unarmed demonstrators, while independent investigations documented extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture in custody. The violent suppression triggered a political crisis, culminating in the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government and her flight from the country.
Steven Powles KC in his ICC filing alleges that since July 2024, approximately 400 Awami League leaders and activists have been killed, many subject to beatings and lynchings. Witness testimonies and video evidence detail “brutal killings”, while at least 25 figures reportedly died in custody under suspicious circumstances despite official claims of natural causes. The filing also cites Operation Devil Hunt, a February 2025 crackdown by the interim government that saw 18,000 arrests over 12 days, targeting politicians, journalists, judges, and even public figures with loose ties to the Awami League.
The Article 15 communication criticises the October 14, 2024 Immunity Order, which protected participants in the July Uprising, describing it as a “vehicle for impunity” that enabled state tolerance of violent reprisals. The filing stresses that, if left uninvestigated domestically, these alleged offences constitute crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the ICC Statute, warranting urgent international scrutiny.
Steven Powles KC said: “No one is above the law. If victims cannot obtain justice in their own country, it is vital to bring these crimes to the ICC for a thorough and impartial investigation.”
The submission includes accounts from relatives of victims, such as Shahin Alam, whose brother Shamim Molla was abducted and killed after Dr Yunus assumed power in August 2024. Alam described Bangladesh as descending into a state of lawlessness, with known criminals released and fundamentalist actors placed in positions of authority.
The ICC filing represents a potentially pivotal step towards accountability, raising critical questions about justice, political reprisals, and human rights in Bangladesh. Analysts emphasise that the case could set an important precedent for addressing systematic, politically motivated violence during periods of political transition.
However, analysts and legal experts argue that the petition may serve political objectives rather than a genuine pursuit of justice. Reports indicate that many of the alleged deaths of AL workers were not directly linked to the July Movement, but instead resulted from their involvement in criminal activities, including violent reprisals against students and civilians during the protests.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that a number of AL activists actively participated in assaults, contributing to the unrest and civilian casualties. Critics say this context is largely absent from the ICC filing, raising questions about the narrative being presented to the international community.
The move has drawn scrutiny for potentially reframing accountability as victimhood, portraying party members as passive victims rather than participants in a chaotic and violent period. Legal experts caution that conflating criminal responsibility with political persecution could undermine the credibility of the petition and obscure the broader lessons of the July Movement, including the need for comprehensive investigations into all actors involved.
While the filing underscores the urgency of addressing political violence in Bangladesh, its framing has ignited debate over whether it represents a true quest for justice or a calculated attempt to influence international perception, shifting focus away from the complex realities of the July 2024 protests and the role of AL-affiliated actors in the resulting deaths and chaos.
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