Sheikh Hasina’s aides charged with crimes against humanity in Bangladesh
Tribunal indicts former Awami League leaders, including Mahbub Ul Islam Hanif, over killings and protest suppression
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has indicted several close allies of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, including senior Awami League figure Mahbub Ul Islam Hanif, on charges of crimes against humanity linked to the deadly July 2024 Uprising.
The mass protests erupted in mid-2024 after student demonstrations over civil-service hiring quotas widened into nationwide demands for Hasina’s resignation.
Protesters accused her government of election rigging and increasingly authoritarian rule, grievances that had simmered since disputed national polls in 2018 and 2024.
The ensuing crackdown, condemned by the United Nations and rights groups, was among the bloodiest in Bangladesh’s modern history. A U.N. fact-finding mission later estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed between mid-July and early August 2024, though official figures remain much lower.
Hanif, who served as joint general secretary of the now-defunct Awami League, faces three counts including conspiracy to crush protests, incitement to violence, and involvement in the murder of six civilians in Kushtia town.
The tribunal ordered the arrest of Hanif and three others, directing that they be brought before the court on October 14.
The bench led by Justice Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury accepted the charges on Monday after prosecutors filed the case a day earlier. The other defendants are Kushtia District Council Chairman Sadar Uddin Khan, Awami League General Secretary Asghar Ali, and Sadar Upazila Council Chairman Ataur Rahman Ata.
Prosecutors allege Hanif endorsed remarks by Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, who told reporters the party’s student wing, the Chhatra League, was “a sufficient response” to protesters — a comment interpreted as sanctioning violence.
The tribunal’s move marks one of the most consequential legal steps since Hasina’s fall from power, as Bangladesh confronts widespread accusations of extrajudicial killings, torture, and political persecution during her 15-year rule.
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