Bangladesh to clarify seizure of Hasina, other convicts’ assets
Tribunal rules allow property confiscation but provide no clear enforcement process, prompting changes that would also apply retrospectively to verdicts already delivered
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh is moving to amend the rules governing its International Crimes Tribunal to create a clearer process for authorities to confiscate and recover the property of people convicted by the court, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The proposed changes would spell out how confiscation orders are to be enforced after a verdict, addressing a gap between the tribunal’s power to seize assets and the practical mechanism available to the government to take control of or sell them.
According to BDNews24.com, International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said that the amended rules would apply retrospectively, meaning they could be used to enforce property confiscation orders contained in verdicts already delivered against Hasina and other convicts.
“If the Rules of Procedure are amended now, the same process will be implemented in those verdicts with retrospective effect. There is no legal problem in that,” Aminul told reporters.
Bangladesh’s tribunal law already allows judges to order the confiscation of property, impose fines and provide compensation to victims or their families. But Aminul said the tribunal’s procedural rules do not clearly set out how authorities should carry out those financial penalties after a judgment.
The proposed amendment is therefore aimed primarily at enforcement rather than creating a new power to seize property.
Aminul said future tribunal verdicts should contain explicit instructions explaining how confiscated property can be sold and fines recovered. Existing mechanisms under Bangladesh’s Public Demand Recovery Act and the Code of Criminal Procedure could be adapted for that purpose.
He said incorporating those mechanisms into the tribunal’s Rules of Procedure would give government authorities a clearer legal path when implementing judgments.
The issue has gained particular significance following the conviction of Hasina, who was sentenced to death by the tribunal for crimes against humanity committed during the deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising that toppled her government in August 2024.
Hasina fled to neighboring India after her government collapsed and has remained there despite Bangladesh seeking her extradition.
Aminul said tribunal judges had already been informed about the proposed procedural changes and had encouraged the prosecution to pursue the initiative.
He also proposed bringing judges and legal experts together to examine shortcomings in the existing rules before an amendment is finalized, saying such discussions could help establish a workable system for enforcing confiscation orders.
The move could also affect other former officials and political figures convicted by the tribunal, as Bangladesh continues prosecutions over alleged crimes committed during Hasina’s rule and the 2024 uprising.
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