Sheikh Hasina's Big Trial Begins, Charged With Crimes Against Humanity

An investigation report found Sheikh Hasina "directly ordered" to conduct operations resulting in mass casualties.

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Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister in August after ruling for 15 years and fled Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi prosecutors officially charged former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two senior officials with crimes against humanity for their alleged roles in violent crackdowns during the 2024 student-led uprising.

An investigation report found that Hasina "directly ordered" state security forces, her political party and affiliated groups to conduct operations resulting in mass casualties. "These killings were planned," Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam said in a televised hearing on Sunday, citing video evidence and encrypted communications between different agencies.

The case listed 81 people as witnesses, Islam said. Prosecutors also alleged that Hasina, as head of government, bears command responsibility for security force operations during the unrest.

Hasina resigned as prime minister in August after ruling for 15 years and fled Bangladesh for New Delhi under pressure from millions of protesters who had taken to the streets for weeks to demand she step down. She and some of her family members also face allegations of corruption.

The crackdowns left about 1,500 people dead and 25,000 injured, Islam said last month.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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