Dhaka on High Alert as ICT Prepares Verdict in Case Against Sheikh Hasina

Dhaka, Nov 2025 : Security has been dramatically tightened across Dhaka and nearby districts ahead of Monday’s anticipated verdict by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in a case involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Law enforcement agencies, including the police, army, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), have set up additional checkpoints and patrols, especially around key government installations such as the Secretariat, major ministry offices, and the tribunal premises.

Authorities say a recent surge in arson attacks and crude bomb explosions has heightened public anxiety. While the government has appealed for calm, opposition groups and student organisations have issued warnings against any attempt to “destabilise” the situation.

The Awami League—still barred from political activity—had earlier called for a “Dhaka Lockdown” protest on November 13, alleging politically motivated charges and the arrests of its senior leaders. In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed security agencies to maintain maximum alert in the days leading up to the judgment.

The verdict comes from a three-member bench of ICT Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Mojumder, with Justice Md. Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Justice Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury as members. The case relates to alleged crimes committed during the July 2024 mass uprising, which was marked by widespread violence and preceded the fall of the Awami League government. Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun were all charged, with Al-Mamun later turning approver. The tribunal completed the trial on October 23.

Businesses have voiced growing concern over the political volatility, expressing hope that the upcoming national elections will bring stability. Since the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed power, activities of the Awami League and its affiliated groups have been banned. Nonetheless, party leaders have continued to campaign through social media from undisclosed locations.

The case traces back to the July 2024 student-led uprising, which erupted over economic hardship, corruption, and a severe job crisis. The unrest ultimately toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government. On August 5, she fled to India as the Yunus-led interim government took control.

A United Nations report later estimated that nearly 1,400 people had died during the July protests. Ironically, the ICT handling this case is the same tribunal the Awami League originally established to prosecute war crimes from the 1971 Liberation War, including cases involving several Jamaat-e-Islami leaders.