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Bangladesh’s former PM Khaleda Zia remains in critical condition at a Dhaka hospital, with a specialist Chinese medical team joining her treatment. Security around the hospital has been heightened and prayers are being held nationwide.

Security Tightened for Bangladesh's Khaleda Zia Amid Health Crisis

Khaleda Zia's Security Enhanced Over Health Concerns

Bangladesh&rsquo;s former PM Khaleda Zia remains in critical condition at a Dhaka hospital, with a specialist Chinese medical team joining her treatment. Security around the hospital has been heightened and prayers are being held nationwide.

Security was tightened around Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia on Tuesday as a specialist medical team from China joined efforts to treat the ailing politician, who remains in a highly critical condition at a private hospital in Dhaka.
Police erected a barricade at the main gate of Evercare Hospital around 2 am, with hospital sources saying more than two dozen personnel have been deployed to regulate patients' movement and reinforce Zia&rsquo;s security, The Daily Star newspaper reported.
The 80-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson was admitted to the hospital on November 23 after being diagnosed with infections affecting her heart and lungs. Four days later, the three-time prime minister was shifted to the coronary care unit after several of her health complications worsened. Her condition deteriorated further, and she was placed on ventilation on Sunday night, BNP Vice-Chairman Advocate Ahmed Aazam Khan said on Monday.
A five-member specialist team from China arrived in Dhaka on Monday and was seen entering the hospital late in the night, according to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper. The delegation earlier held a meeting with the medical board overseeing Zia's treatment, confirmed the board's head and cardiologist, Dr Shahabuddin Talukder.
Talukder said Zia&rsquo;s condition remained unchanged and that she was not fit to travel abroad for advanced treatment. He added that further expert opinion was urgently needed, with another team of Chinese specialists expected to arrive later on Tuesday.
The tightened security followed the interim government&rsquo;s decision on Monday to declare Zia a &ldquo;very, very important person&rdquo;, enabling the deployment of the Special Security Force (SSF) for her protection. Four SSF personnel visited the hospital around midnight and inspected various sections of the building for nearly three hours.
Zia is currently staying in a cabin on the fourth floor, where surrounding cabins have been vacated as part of heightened security protocols. The three-time prime minister was admitted to the private hospital on November 23 after being diagnosed with infections affecting her heart and lungs. She was moved to the coronary care unit four days later as her complications worsened. Her condition deteriorated further, and she was placed on ventilation on Sunday night, BNP Vice-Chairman Advocate Ahmed Aazam Khan said on Monday.
&ldquo;She is in a very critical condition. There is nothing more to do except seek prayers from the whole nation,&rdquo; he told reporters.
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters late Monday that Zia's son and the party&rsquo;s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, who has been living in self-exile in London for over a decade, &ldquo;will return to Bangladesh soon&rdquo;.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed deep concern over Zia&rsquo;s health and offered all possible support.
Across Bangladesh, prayers are being held for Zia&rsquo;s recovery. Local BNP units and affiliated organisations arranged special prayers in mosques, temples and community centres in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chattogram, Barishal, Sylhet, Mymensingh and other districts. Many supporters also took to social media to post prayers and messages wishing her a swift recovery.

A Bangladesh court sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison in three corruption cases related to irregular plot allocations, delivering the verdict in her absence as she remains at large.

Ex-Bangladesh PM Hasina Sentenced to 21 Years for Corruption

Bangladesh's Ex-PM Sentenced for Corruption

A Bangladesh court sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison in three corruption cases related to irregular plot allocations, delivering the verdict in her absence as she remains at large.

A Bangladesh court on Thursday sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years of imprisonment in three corruption cases, local media reported.&nbsp;
The three cases were lodged over alleged irregularities in allocating plots in the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol, state-run BSS news agency said.&nbsp;
The judge pronounced the judgment in absence of the convict as she is yet to be arrested and was tried in absentia. Hasina was sentenced to seven years in each case, totalling 21 years in prison.&nbsp;
"The plot was allotted to Sheikh Hasina without any application and in a manner that exceeded the legally authorised jurisdiction," the court observed in its judgment.

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Narsingdi, Bangladesh, on Friday morning, with tremors felt in West Bengal, Kolkata, and Assam’s Guwahati; no casualties reported.

Tremors felt across West Bengal as 5.7 magnitiude quake jolts Bangladesh

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Narsingdi, Bangladesh, on Friday morning, with tremors felt in West Bengal, Kolkata, and Assam&rsquo;s Guwahati; no casualties reported.

Tremors were felt across West Bengal and parts of the northeast on Friday morning, as an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 jolted Bangladesh's Narsingdi, the National Centre for Seismology said.
The quake struck 13 km south-southwest of Narsingdi in the neighbouring country at 10.08 am, and at a depth of 10 km, it said.
Several people in West Bengal and the northeast, including Kolkata and Assam&rsquo;s Guwahati, were seen coming out on the streets as a precautionary measure.
There was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property, officials said.&nbsp;

Sajeeb Wazed Joy criticised Dhaka’s bid to extradite Sheikh Hasina, alleging judicial misuse and a surge in extremist activity in Bangladesh, while thanking India for providing her asylum.

Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy rejects Dhaka’s extradition request as illegitimate

Sajeeb Wazed Joy criticised Dhaka&rsquo;s bid to extradite Sheikh Hasina, alleging judicial misuse and a surge in extremist activity in Bangladesh, while thanking India for providing her asylum.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Bangladesh&rsquo;s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has sharply criticised Dhaka&rsquo;s extradition request for his mother, dismissing the legal cases against her and cautioning India about what he describes as a rising terrorism threat emanating from Bangladesh.&nbsp;
Speaking to ANI, Wazed&mdash;who has been in India since Hasina was flown out of Dhaka in August 2024&mdash;expressed deep gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for offering her asylum, claiming that militants had been preparing to assassinate her.
Wazed questioned the credibility of the legal proceedings initiated by the interim government, accusing authorities in Dhaka of violating fundamental judicial norms.
He alleged that the prosecution process was manipulated from the outset. "They terminated 17 judges before the trial, amended laws illegally without parliamentary approval, and barred her defence attorneys from court proceedings," he told ANI. "When there is no due process whatsoever, no country is going to extradite."
He voiced confidence that India would reject the extradition request, arguing that the absence of lawful procedures made Dhaka&rsquo;s appeal untenable. Although Hasina faces a series of charges linked to her long tenure, Wazed insists the process has been irreparably compromised by the interim administration.
Recounting the events leading to his mother&rsquo;s departure, Wazed said India played a decisive role in protecting her. "India has essentially saved my mother's life. If she hadn't left Bangladesh, the militants had planned on killing her," he claimed.&nbsp;
While he admitted that the government mishandled early protests in July 2024, he described what unfolded later as a coordinated political operation rather than a grassroots uprising.
Wazed&rsquo;s warnings appeared aimed at India&rsquo;s security leadership. He alleged that the interim Yunus government has freed &ldquo;tens of thousands of terrorists&rdquo; previously convicted during Hasina&rsquo;s rule and claimed that Lashkar-e-Taiba is now operating with greater freedom within Bangladesh. According to him, its local network has even been linked to recent terror attacks in Delhi. "I think Prime Minister Modi is probably very, very concerned about terrorism from Bangladesh," he added.
Tensions between India and Bangladesh have already been elevated over issues surrounding minorities and border management, and Wazed&rsquo;s comments add a new layer of strain. Escalating his accusations, he claimed Pakistan&rsquo;s ISI supplied weapons to militants who infiltrated last year&rsquo;s demonstrations, citing videos of armed individuals among protestors. "Without a doubt, these weapons had to have been supplied from somewhere in the subcontinent and the only possible source is ISI," he argued.
He also referred to comments attributed to US President Donald Trump, who allegedly said the former Biden administration spent &ldquo;millions of dollars on regime change in Bangladesh&rdquo; via USAID. Wazed suggested the current US government appeared more focused on countering terrorism and the rise of Islamist groups, though he stopped short of confirming any direct communication with Washington.
Painting a bleak picture of the situation under interim leader Muhammad Yunus, Wazed alleged widespread political detentions. "You've had an unelected government staying in power for over a year and a half. Everything has been done undemocratically," he said, noting that over 100 former lawmakers were among those being held. Despite the interim administration&rsquo;s claims that extended rule is necessary to reform institutions after years of alleged authoritarianism, it has not committed to an election timeline.
Wazed rejected the government&rsquo;s claims of popular backing, citing data showing the student movement&rsquo;s political arm polling at just two per cent. "If Muhammad Yunus was popular, then why would he not have held one election and then run the country with legitimacy?" he asked.
Responding to allegations of corruption during Hasina&rsquo;s tenure, Wazed conceded there were issues but insisted they were not systemic. "Corruption existed in Bangladesh, of course," he said, before pointing to Bangladesh&rsquo;s improved global rankings and its economic rise from a least-developed nation to an emerging &ldquo;Asian tiger.&rdquo; "This level of development and economic growth would not have been possible with major corruption," he maintained.
As of now, the interim Bangladesh government has not commented on the specific claims raised by Wazed&mdash;ranging from judicial irregularities and the release of convicted extremists to the number of political detainees.

Bangladesh remained calm but tense on Tuesday as security forces maintained tight control following the Awami League’s call for a nationwide shutdown to protest former PM Sheikh Hasina’s death sentence.

Bangladesh on high alert as Awami League protests Hasina's death sentence

Bangladesh in Turmoil: Security Tightens Amid Protests

Bangladesh remained calm but tense on Tuesday as security forces maintained tight control following the Awami League&rsquo;s call for a nationwide shutdown to protest former PM Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s death sentence.

Bangladesh on Tuesday remained calm but tense as security forces kept a tight grip on the streets across major cities, following the Awami League's call for a "nationwide total shutdown&rdquo; to protest the death sentence handed down to its chief and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
No incident of violence was reported, while traffic in Dhaka and other major cities stayed thin and public movement was limited amid fears of possible unrest following Monday's high-profile verdict. "The transport flow is thin as the people preferred to stay indoors," a transport operator in Dhaka said.
Many offices and educational institutions recorded low attendance as people chose to stay indoors amid uncertainty. Heavily armed police, Rapid Action Battalion personnel and paramilitary units continued round-the-clock patrols, especially around government buildings, party offices and key intersections. Authorities kept security cordons in parts of the capital, while checkpoints and barricades remained in place.
Hasina's Awami League party, in a statement posted on social media on Monday, called for a "nationwide total shutdown" on Tuesday in protest against Hasina's verdict. It has also called for "nationwide demonstrations, protests, and resistance" from Nov 19-21.
"Our systematic democratic movement will continue until the fall of the illegal, unconstitutional government of killer&ndash;fascist (Muhammad) Yunus and the restoration of a democratic state system," the statement said. The party termed the verdict &ldquo;politically motivated&rdquo;, "malicious, retaliatory, and vengeful".
Hasina, 78, was on Monday sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for "crimes against humanity" over her government's brutal crackdown on student-led protests last year. It also handed the death sentence to former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on similar charges.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. Commenting on the verdict, Hasina denied the charges as "biased and politically motivated" and said the judgment has been made by a "rigged tribunal" established and presided over by an "unelected government with no democratic mandate".

Bangladesh has formally asked India to extradite Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal after a special tribunal sentenced both to death in absentia for crimes against humanity linked to last year's student uprising.

Bangladesh's interim govt urges India to extradite Sheikh Hasina, her aide

Bangladesh has formally asked India to extradite Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal after a special tribunal sentenced both to death in absentia for crimes against humanity linked to last year's student uprising.

Bangladesh on Monday urged India to immediately extradite deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, hours after a special tribunal sentenced them to death in absentia for "crimes against humanity".
"We urge the Indian government to immediately hand over these two convicted individuals to the Bangladeshi authorities," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to the state-run BSS news agency.
It said the existing bilateral extradition agreement between Bangladesh and India marks the transfer of the two convicts as a "compulsory responsibility" for New Delhi.
The ministry also said that granting shelter to individuals convicted of crimes against humanity would be considered an "unfriendly act" and a disregard for justice.
The International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh (ICT-BD) on Monday sentenced Hasina and Kamal to death in absentia for "crimes against humanity" during last year's student uprising.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court. Kamal is also believed to be in India.
In December last year, Bangladesh sent India a note verbale, requesting Hasina's extradition. India confirmed receipt of the formal diplomatic note but did not comment further.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said his ministry will formally send a letter to New Delhi seeking the repatriation of the "fugitive convicts" Hasina and Kamal.
"We will officially communicate our position to India. Whether the letter goes tonight or tomorrow, it will certainly go,&rdquo; he told reporters.
Responding to a question, he said Dhaka had earlier sent a request seeking Hasina's return but received no response. &ldquo;Now the situation is different &hellip; the judicial process has been completed and they have been convicted,&rdquo; he added.
Touhid said Bangladesh will place its request under the existing extradition treaty with India. On what Dhaka would do if India refuses to hand over Sheikh Hasina, he replied, &ldquo;We will address that situation when it arises.&rdquo;
Separately, both Legal Adviser Asif Nazrul and Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said they want the repatriation of Hasina.
"If India continues to shelter this mass murderer, then India must understand that it is an act of hostility...," Nazrul was quoted as saying by the Bangla-language daily Prothom Alo.
Nazrul described the death sentence to Hasina as the "greatest event of establishing justice on the soil of Bangladesh."
"I am not surprised (by the verdict). Given the fresh, irrefutable and strong evidence of crimes against humanity committed by Hasina and her associates, they should be given the maximum punishment if tried in any court in the world," he said.
Former premier Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party criticised India for giving shelter to "fugitive" Hasina.
"India has given shelter to a fugitive criminal. But the country is giving her the chance to do sabotage against Bangladesh, and this is not a lawful behaviour from India. This is very unfortunate," BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper.
Speaking at a press conference, the BNP leader said a country like India, which upholds democracy and has an independent judiciary, should not allow Hasina the space to engage in wrongful activities.
Right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami also urged India to extradite Hasina.
"If one claims to behave as a good neighbour, if one aspires to maintain friendly relations, this is their foremost responsibility," Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said, referring to Hasina's extradition.
"We demand that she be returned to Bangladesh," he added.
National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam urged for speedy execution of the death sentence given to Hasina.
"Sheikh Hasina must be brought back to Bangladesh and the death sentence executed within a month,&rdquo; he told reporters.
"This verdict will set an example not only for Bangladesh but also for tyrannical and fascist rulers around the world,&rdquo; said Nahid.
Earlier, NCP Member-Secretary Akhter Hossain said the death sentence given to Hasina represents "appropriate justice."
He urged both the Bangladesh government to swiftly enforce the verdict and the Indian government to return her to Dhaka.
"We call upon the Government of India not to give refuge to Sheikh Hasina. She carried out genocide against the people of Bangladesh and committed crimes against humanity. India must hand her over to Bangladesh's justice system," he said in a video message.

Bangladesh's former PM Sheikh Hasina, sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, calls the verdict politically motivated and challenges a fair trial abroad.

Sheikh Hasina labels death sentence 'politically motivated,' seeks fair trial abroad

Bangladesh's former PM Sheikh Hasina, sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, calls the verdict politically motivated and challenges a fair trial abroad.

Bangladesh's fugitive former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday called the guilty verdict and death sentence in her crimes against humanity trial "biased and politically motivated".
Hasina, 78, defied court orders that she return from India to attend her trial about whether she ordered a deadly crackdown against the student-led uprising that ousted her.
She was found guilty and sentenced to death earlier on Monday.
"The verdicts announced against me have been made by a rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected government with no democratic mandate," Hasina said in a statement issued from hiding in India.
"They are biased and politically motivated."
Critics accused her of jailing political rivals, enacting harsh anti-press laws, and overseeing widespread human rights abuses, including the killing of opposition activists.
But the trial centred around the 1,400 people who were killed between July and August 2024, according to the United Nations.
Hasina was assigned a state-appointed lawyer for the trial but she refused to recognise the court's authority and said she rejected all charges.
"Its guilty verdict against me was a foregone conclusion," Hasina added in the statement, claiming she would be willing to attend a fresh trial outside her home nation.
"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly," she said.
"That is why I have repeatedly challenged the interim government to bring these charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague."
Bangladesh's foreign ministry summoned India's envoy to Dhaka this month, demanding that New Delhi block the "notorious fugitive" Hasina from talking to journalists and "granting her a platform to spew hatred".
The International Crisis Group said the "political repercussions of this verdict are significant".
"The process has not been without critics," ICG analyst Thomas Kean said.
"In absentia trials are often a source of contention, and in this case the speed with which the hearings were conducted and the apparent lack of resources for the defence also raise questions of fairness... But they should not be used to downplay or deflect from Sheikh Hasina's actions".
Kean added: "The prospect of Sheikh Hasina mounting a political comeback in Bangladesh now appears very slim".

A deep look at Sheikh Hasina’s dramatic downfall — from shaping modern Bangladesh to being sentenced to death by the very tribunal she created, following the 2024 student uprising and her ouster.

Sheikh Hasina: The rise, reign and ruin of Bangladesh's 'Iron Lady'

A deep look at Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s dramatic downfall &mdash; from shaping modern Bangladesh to being sentenced to death by the very tribunal she created, following the 2024 student uprising and her ouster.

For nearly two decades, Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s name moved with the pulse of Bangladesh, sometimes steady, sometimes storm-tossed.&nbsp;
To her supporters, she is the architect of a modern, developing Bangladesh; to her critics, she was an autocrat whose appetite for power blinded her to the cries of the streets.&nbsp;
Few, however, could have imagined that the very tribunal the 77-year-old deposed prime minister once created to try hardened war collaborators would one day place her in the dock.&nbsp;
On Monday, when the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) pronounced the death sentence against Hasina in absentia, it marked the most dramatic turn yet in the story of the world's longest-serving female head of government.
Early Life and Family Background
Hasina was born on September 28, 1947, in Tungipara in the then East Pakistan, into a family that would come to define Bangladesh&rsquo;s identity. Her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, led Bangladesh to independence with India&rsquo;s help in 1971 and became its founding father. She studied at the University of Dhaka, earning a master&rsquo;s degree in Bengali literature, and became deeply engaged in student politics.
In 1968, Hasina married nuclear scientist M A Wazed Miah, whose low-profile, scholarly life stood in contrast to the turbulence of Bangladeshi politics. Wazed remained a steady presence in Hasina's life until he died in 2009 at the age of 67. They have a son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy and a daughter, Saima Wazed Putul.
The 1975 Assassination and Exile
Hasina's political destiny hardened after the August 1975 military coup, in which her father, mother, three brothers, and several other family members were assassinated. She and her younger sister Rehana survived only because they were abroad. India, under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, granted her asylum.
After six years, in May 1981, Hasina returned to Bangladesh, where she was elected in absentia as the general secretary of the Awami League.
Rise of the &lsquo;Battling Begums&rsquo;
When Hasina returned in 1981 to lead the Awami League, she found her rival already waiting: Khaleda Zia, widow of slain president Ziaur Rahman. The &lsquo;Battling Begums&rsquo;, as they came to be known, fought electoral and ideological wars that defined Bangladesh&rsquo;s politics for more than three decades.
Political Career and Long Tenure as Prime Minister
Hasina first became prime minister in 1996, defeating Zia in a fiercely contested election. She lost power in 2001 but returned with a landslide in 2008, beginning, what her critics say, a long stretch of dominance.
Under her leadership, the Awami League swept the 2008 general election; the 2014 election, which was boycotted by Zia&rsquo;s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP); and the 2018 election, giving Hasina one of the world&rsquo;s longest tenures for a female leader.
During her premiership, Bangladesh saw rapid economic growth, major infrastructure achievements like the Padma Bridge, and advances in poverty reduction. The country also became a global garment powerhouse under her watch.
Accusations of Authoritarianism
But the accolades came alongside accusations of clampdowns on dissent, curbs on the media, arrests of opposition leaders and the expansion of state security powers.
In 2024, student-led demonstrations, which initially erupted in protest over quotas in government jobs for children of independence war veterans, later exploded into a nationwide uprising against Hasina&rsquo;s regime. The crackdown that followed unleashed spirals of violence, ultimately ousting Hasina from power and forcing her to flee to India.
Reconstitution of ICT and Charges Against Hasina
Following Hasina&rsquo;s ouster, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus reconstituted the ICT, once her instrument for prosecuting war criminals, to bring charges of crimes against humanity related to the 2024 crackdown against her.
A UN rights office report estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed during last year&rsquo;s student protest between July 15 and August 15 during what came to be known as the July Uprising, as her government ordered a sweeping security crackdown.
The Death Sentence and Its Aftermath
On Monday, after months of proceedings she never attended, the tribunal handed down the unthinkable: Hasina, four-time prime minister and political heir of Bangladesh&rsquo;s founding leader, was sentenced to death.
Now, in exile in India, Hasina, often dubbed the &lsquo;Iron Lady&rsquo; of Bangladesh, watches from across the border as the nation she helped build, and often ruled with a firm hand, grapples with the legacy her rise and fall has left behind.

A Bangladesh court has sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death after finding her guilty on multiple counts of crimes against humanity, including incitement, orders to kill and failure to prevent atrocities.

Bangladesh court sentences ex-PM Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity

A Bangladesh court has sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death after finding her guilty on multiple counts of crimes against humanity, including incitement, orders to kill and failure to prevent atrocities.

A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity, with cheers breaking out in the packed court as the judge read out the verdict.
Hasina, 78, defied court orders that she return from India to attend her trial about whether she ordered a deadly crackdown against a student-led uprising that ousted her.
The highly anticipated ruling, which was broadcast live on national television, comes ahead of the first polls since her overthrow in August 2024.
"All the... elements constituting crimes against humanity have been fulfilled," judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder read to the packed court in Dhaka.
Hasina was "found guilty on three counts", including incitement, order to kill, and inaction to prevent the atrocities, Mozumder said.
"We have decided to inflict her with only one sentence -- that is, sentence of death."
Former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, also a fugitive, was also sentenced to death, after being found guilty on four counts of crimes against humanity.
Former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who was in court and had pleaded guilty, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since the end of Hasina's autocratic rule, and violence has marred campaigning for elections expected in February 2026.
The United Nations says up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns as Hasina tried to cling to power, deaths that were central to her trial.
Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam, speaking ahead of the verdict, said he had hoped that the people's "thirst for justice will be fulfilled, and that this verdict will mark an end to crimes against humanity".
Prosecutors filed five charges, including failure to prevent murder, amounting to crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law.
The trial heard months of testimony in absentia, detailing how Hasina had ordered mass killings. She has called the trial a "jurisprudential joke".
Hasina was assigned a state-appointed lawyer for the trial but she refused to recognise the court's authority and said she rejected all charges.
Hasina said in a written interview with AFP in October that a guilty verdict was "preordained", and that she would "not be surprised when it comes".
 - Deepening crisis -
Security forces surrounded the court when the verdict date was set on Thursday, with armoured vehicles manning checkpoints.
Dhaka Municipal Police spokesman Talebur Rahman said the force would be on high alert for Monday's verdict, with checkpoints at key intersections across the capital. Almost half the city's 34,000 police would be on duty, he said.
Crude bombs have been set off across Dhaka this month, mainly petrol bombs hurled at everything from buildings linked to interim leader Muhammad Yunus's government to buses and Christian sites.
Bangladesh's foreign ministry summoned India's envoy to Dhaka this month, demanding that New Delhi block the "notorious fugitive" Hasina from talking to journalists and "granting her a platform to spew hatred".
Hasina remains defiant.
She said in October she "mourned all the lives lost during the terrible days" when students were gunned down in the streets. Her comments enraged many who said she had made a ruthless bid to maintain power at all costs.
Hasina also warned that the ban on her former ruling party the Awami League by the interim government was deepening the political crisis in the country of 170 million people before the elections.

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has started delivering its verdict against deposed PM Sheikh Hasina and her aides for alleged crimes against humanity during last year’s student-led uprising.

Bangladesh Tribunal begins delivering verdict against ousted PM Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh&rsquo;s International Crimes Tribunal has started delivering its verdict against deposed PM Sheikh Hasina and her aides for alleged crimes against humanity during last year&rsquo;s student-led uprising.

Bangladesh&rsquo;s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) on Monday began delivering its verdict in the case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is being tried in absentia over alleged crimes against humanity committed during last year&rsquo;s student-led agitation that led to the fall of her Awami League government.
The three-member tribunal will also pronounce its judgement against Hasina's two aides, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, over the same charges. Mamun was produced before the tribunal. Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for the accused.
Hasina, 78, faces multiple charges arising from the mass uprising that forced her out of office in August 2024. A UN rights office report estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 during the &ldquo;July Uprising&rdquo; as her government ordered a sweeping security crackdown.
Hasina and Kamal were declared fugitives and tried in absentia, while Mamun initially faced trial in person before turning approver. Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam has described Hasina as the &ldquo;mastermind and principal architect&rdquo; of the alleged atrocities during the protests. Her supporters maintain the charges are politically motivated.
The tribunal concluded hearings on October 23 after 28 working days, during which 54 witnesses testified about the state&rsquo;s response to the student-led movement that toppled Hasina&rsquo;s government on August 5, 2024.
Hasina fled Bangladesh the same day amid intensifying unrest and has since been residing in India. Kamal is also believed to have taken refuge in India. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has sought Hasina&rsquo;s extradition, but India has yet to respond.
Security has been heightened nationwide ahead of the verdict. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali on Sunday evening issued shoot-at-sight orders against anyone involved in arson, explosions or attempts to harm police and civilians. The now-disbanded Awami League called a two-day shutdown ahead of the judgement. Army troops, Border Guard Bangladesh personnel and riot police have been deployed around the ICT-BD complex, with streets in the capital largely deserted amid fears of violence.
Hasina, Kamal and Mamun face five charges, including murder, attempted murder, torture and other inhumane acts. A key charge accuses Hasina of ordering the &ldquo;extermination&rdquo; of protesters. She is also accused of making inflammatory remarks and directing the use of deadly weapons against students. Additional charges relate to the shooting deaths of six unarmed protesters in Dhaka and surrounding areas.
In interviews with international media and the Indian press, Hasina has labelled the tribunal a &ldquo;kangaroo court&rdquo; run by individuals aligned with her political opponents. In a recent emailed interview to PTI, she said she was willing to stand trial under international supervision &ldquo;even at the International Criminal Court&rdquo; in The Hague, alleging that Yunus avoided such a process because an impartial tribunal would acquit her.
The ICT-BD was originally established to try collaborators of Pakistani forces during Bangladesh&rsquo;s 1971 Liberation War. The Yunus administration later amended its mandate to prosecute leaders of the previous regime, including Hasina. Most senior Awami League figures are either jailed or on the run.

Bangladesh intensified security in Dhaka after arson and crude bomb attacks ahead of Monday’s tribunal verdict against former PM Sheikh Hasina in an alleged crimes-against-humanity case.

Bangladesh: Dhaka under tight security ahead of tribunal verdict against ex-PM Hasina

Bangladesh intensified security in Dhaka after arson and crude bomb attacks ahead of Monday&rsquo;s tribunal verdict against former PM Sheikh Hasina in an alleged crimes-against-humanity case.

Bangladesh witnessed an unusually subdued Monday as heavy security deployment and deserted streets marked the tense hours ahead of the International Crimes Tribunal&ndash;Bangladesh (ICT-BD) verdict against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a case of alleged crimes against humanity.
The capital city Dhaka, typically gridlocked on weekday mornings, woke to near-empty roads, with only scattered cars and rickshaws moving through heavily policed intersections. The eerie calm followed a night of sporadic arson and crude bomb attacks.
Unidentified assailants set ablaze the vehicle-dumping corner of a police station complex and detonated two crude devices outside the residence of an advisory council member to the interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Multiple explosions were also reported at key intersections across Dhaka.
Reports from Rangpur, Chattogram and other cities indicated a similar atmosphere with thin crowds and intensified patrolling by security personnel. Authorities, already bracing for trouble after the now-disbanded Awami League called a two-day shutdown, ordered strict military, paramilitary and police vigilance.
Security forces mounted intensive patrols around the ICT-BD complex, the Secretariat, the Supreme Court premises, the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office and the diplomatic enclave. Armoured carriers, water cannons, and riot-control units from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police were deployed at major junctions, while checkpoints screened movement into and out of the city.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has authorised its personnel to open fire on violent protesters. &ldquo;Anyone who sets a bus on fire or throws crude bombs with the intent to kill should be shot,&rdquo; DMP Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali said late Sunday. Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Hasina, 78.
Dhaka has witnessed a series of clandestine predawn attacks since November 10, including crude bomb explosions outside the Mirpur headquarters of the Yunus-founded Grameen Bank. Several branches were also targeted with petrol bombs and arson, and a bus driver was killed last week after attackers set fire to parked vehicles.
Hasina, currently in India, was tried in absentia alongside former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. Former police chief Abdullah Al Mamun appeared in person and turned approver in an apparent bid for leniency.
Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim said the state sought the highest possible sentence and confiscation of the accused&rsquo;s property for distribution among the victims&rsquo; families. Under ICT-BD rules, Hasina cannot appeal in the Appellate Division unless she surrenders or is arrested within 30 days of the judgment.
In an audio message uploaded on the Awami League&rsquo;s Facebook page, Hasina rejected the charges and urged supporters not to worry, asserting that "this is just a matter of time&rdquo;.
Hasina and her two aides are accused of alleged crimes against humanity linked to last year&rsquo;s July Uprising, including murder, attempted murder, torture, the use of lethal force on unarmed student protesters, orders to deploy lethal weapons, and specific killings in Rangpur and Dhaka. Hasina denies all charges as &ldquo;entirely false&rdquo;.

Bangladesh may replace Pakistan in the men's Asia Cup hockey tournament in Rajgir, Bihar, if Pakistan fails to confirm participation amid security concerns.

Bangladesh likely to replace Pakistan in Asia Cup hockey

Bangladesh may replace Pakistan in the men's Asia Cup hockey tournament in Rajgir, Bihar, if Pakistan fails to confirm participation amid security concerns.

Bangladesh is likely to replace Pakistan in the men's Asia Cup hockey tournament to be held in Rajgir, Bihar from August 29 if the latter fails to confirm participation in the next couple of days, a top Hockey India official told PTI on Monday.
The Indian government had already said that it will provide visas to the Pakistani players for Asia Cup, but the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has refused to travel citing security concerns.
The organisers have already approached Bangladesh to fill up Pakistan's place in the eight-team tournament, but Hockey India said the exact scenario will be clear in the next 48 hours.
"The Indian government has already said that it is will willing to provide visas to Pakistani players but if they don't want to come to India, it's not our problem. Bangladesh has already been invited to participate in case Pakistan doesn't come but we will have to wait for two more days to get the confirmation," the HI official said when quizzed about the situation.
"Neither Pakistan or Bangladesh have confirmed anything to us till now. But Bangladesh are likely replacement for Pakistan," he added.
Pakistan's participation in the Asia Cup -- a qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Cup -- was uncertain after the military confrontation with India following the Pahalgam terror attack.
India had launched Operation Sindoor to destroy terror infrastructure in Pakistan after the terror attack that killed 26 people. PHF had suggested that the tournament be moved out of India to another venue.
Besides hosts India, the other participating teams in the Asia Cup are China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Oman and Chinese Taipei.

Seven Bangladeshi nationals, including four children, were apprehended in West Bengal's Nadia district while attempting to cross the border to return to Bangladesh.

Seven Bangladeshi Nationals Apprehended in West Bengal's Nadia District

Seven Bangladeshis Detained in West Bengal

Seven Bangladeshi nationals, including four children, were apprehended in West Bengal's Nadia district while attempting to cross the border to return to Bangladesh.

Seven Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended along with four children in West Bengal's Nadia district, police said on Wednesday.
They were apprehended from Baranberia Niralapara in the Dhantala police station area of the district on Tuesday, an officer said.
All of them belong to Baliadanga village in Batiaghata police station area of Bangladesh's Khulna district, he said.
The group had entered India two years ago and was staying in Ahmedabad. They were caught when they were trying to return to Bangladesh through the border in Nadia, the officer said.
A case was registered at the Dhantala police station.
Raids are underway to trace their other associates, the police officer said.&nbsp;

A Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a Dhaka school, killing 27, including 25 children. The pilot also died in the crash caused by a mechanical fault.

Tragic Fighter Jet Crash in Dhaka: 27 Dead

Dhaka Fighter Jet Tragedy: 27 Dead

A Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a Dhaka school, killing 27, including 25 children. The pilot also died in the crash caused by a mechanical fault.

The death toll from the crash of the Bangladesh Air Force training fighter jet into a school building in Dhaka rose to 27 as more people succumbed to their injuries, authorities said on Tuesday.
The F-7 BGI aircraft, a training fighter jet manufactured in China, experienced a "mechanical fault" moments after takeoff and crashed into the two-storey building of Milestone School and College at Diabari in Dhaka's Uttara area on Monday.
&ldquo;The toll is now 27, and 25 of them are children,&rdquo; Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus&rsquo;s special adviser, Saidur Rahman, told reporters.
He said many of the dead were under the age of 12. Twenty bodies have been handed over to their families so far.
Authorities fear the toll could rise.
"We are continuing all possible efforts to provide medical care. However, the condition of some patients remains extremely critical," Rahman said at the specialised National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (NIBPS) in the capital.
About 170 people were injured in the crash.
Wails of despair and pain reverberate at hospitals where patients were treated with burn injuries.
The school authorities and hospital staff said several guardians were still frantically looking for their missing children, running from one hospital to another.
&ldquo;Dozens of ambulances were carrying the wounded to nearby hospitals, but the number is so high the facilities could not admit and treat them properly due to lack of rooms for burn injuries,&rdquo; a school teacher said.
Anxious parents and relatives waited outside the emergency wards with shock, uncertainty, fear and grief.
The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Mohammad Towkir Islam, was among those killed in the crash.
The government has declared a state day of mourning for Tuesday in memory of those affected by the crash.
A statement from the Chief Advisor's Office on Monday announced that the national flag will be flown at half-mast at all government, semi-government, autonomous institutions and educational institutions across the country.
Special prayers will be organised at all places of religious worship in the country for the injured and the dead.
A high-level investigation committee has been formed by the Bangladesh Air Force to determine the cause of the accident.
The defence ministry&rsquo;s Inter Service Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) in its last statement on Monday said pilot Hossain tried his best to fly the craft to a desolate place to evade any major casualty but failed.
&ldquo;All the wounded people are being quickly transferred to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and other nearby facilities with the help of air force helicopter and ambulances for treatment,&rdquo; the ISPR said.
The crash was one of the deadliest in Bangladesh&rsquo;s history.
In the last such aviation tragedy in 1984, a total of 49 people were killed when a passenger jet crashed as it attempted to land during a severe rainstorm at the Dhaka airport.&nbsp;

Discover how Bangladesh experienced 2,442 communal violence incidents amid political unrest, with calls for justice and minority inclusion.

Bangladesh minorities face 2442 communal violence cases in 330 days

Over 330 days, Bangladesh faced 2,442 communal violence cases linked to political turmoil. The interim government faces criticism for dismissing these events as politically motivated, while calls for justice and inclusion for minorities grow stronger.

Bangladesh saw 2,442 communal violence cases over 330 days amid political upheaval. Incidents peaked in August 2024, affecting religious minorities.

Bangladesh witnessed 2,442 incidents of communal violence over a span of 330 days from August 4 last year, when political unrest peaked, leading to the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government, a minority advocacy group in the country said on Thursday.
"Most of these violent incidents happened between August 4 and August 20 last year," the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said in a statement released at a press conference at the National Press Club here.
The minority communities faced 2,442 incidents of communal violence over a span of 330 days from August 4, 2024, it said.
The nature of violence ranged from murders and sexual assaults, including gang rapes, to attacks on places of worship, seizing homes and businesses, arrests on charges of alleged defamation of religion, and forced removals of minorities from organisations, the statement said.
Victims included men, women, and adolescents belonging to minority groups.
The perpetrators have largely evaded justice, with the interim government "refusing to acknowledge" the incidents and "dismissing them as politically motivated," the statement said.
A senior Council leader, Narmal Rosario, said the ongoing reform initiatives by the interim government have repeatedly excluded minority communities, "which is the most frustrating factor for us&rdquo;.
&ldquo;We want to walk together with all,&rdquo; he emphasised.
Another leader, Nimchandra Bhoumik, said, "The division (within the society) was not a pleasant matter for anyone.&rdquo; &ldquo;The government, in fact, ignores the incidents of repression of minorities. We demand proper justice,&rdquo; acting general secretary of the council, Manindra Kumar Nath, said.
As per the 2022 census, Hindus are the largest minority community in Bangladesh at 7.95% of the total population, followed by Buddhists (0.61%), Christians (0.30%), and others (0.12%).

Bangladesh’s former PM Sheikh Hasina has been formally indicted for crimes against humanity over the 2024 student protests, along with two other top officials.

Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina formally indicted in crimes against humanity case

Bangladesh&rsquo;s former PM Sheikh Hasina has been formally indicted for crimes against humanity over the 2024 student protests, along with two other top officials.

Bangladesh's deposed premier Sheikh Hasina was on Thursday formally indicted in absentia in a crimes against humanity case by the country's International Crimes Tribunal.
The special tribunal has set August 3 as the start date for the trial. &nbsp;&ldquo;The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT-BD) has framed the charge against her (Hasina) alongside the home minister of her regime Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and (the then) inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun,&rdquo; a prosecution lawyer told a media briefing.
The three were indicted for their attempts to suppress the student-led July-August protests last year.
The prosecutors said Hasina was also accused of mass killings, murder, and torture in a bid to suppress the uprising.
Mamun, the sole accused appearing in person, pleaded guilty when produced before the tribunal from custody, prosecutors added.
Hasina&rsquo;s Awami League regime was ousted in the violent movement led by Students Against Discrimination (SAD) on August 5, 2024, following which she fled to India on a military aircraft.

Deposed Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina receives a six-month prison sentence in a contempt of court case by the International Crimes Tribunal—her first conviction since fleeing office 11 months ago.

Bangladesh's deposed PM Sheikh Hasina sentenced to six months in prison by ICT

Sheikh Hasina Six-Month Jail Sentence

Deposed Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina receives a six-month prison sentence in a contempt of court case by the International Crimes Tribunal&mdash;her first conviction since fleeing office 11 months ago.

Bangladesh&rsquo;s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina was on Wednesday sentenced to six months in prison in a contempt of court case by the International Crimes Tribunal, while it now tries her on a major charge of committing crimes against humanity in absentia.
A three-member panel of the tribunal-1 (ICT), led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, simultaneously sentenced to two months a fugitive leader of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, Shakil Akanda Bulbul, in the same case.
It marks the first time that 77-year-old Hasina has been sentenced in any case since she left office in August last year.
"According to the verdict, the sentence will come into effect from the day of her arrest or surrender before the court,&rdquo; chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told reporters after the verdict was handed down.
A state-appointed lawyer is defending Hasina, now staying in India, in the tribunal which earlier declared her a &ldquo;fugitive&rdquo; while her trial was opened on Monday initially over the murder of student protester Abu Sayeed.
Sayeed&rsquo;s killing in northwestern Rangpur University during a demonstration escalated a nationwide violent protest that ultimately ousted her nearly 16-year-long regime on August 5 last year, when she secretly left the country on a military aircraft.
Three days later Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, 85, flew from Paris to take charge of an interim government as the nominee of the protesters who were waging the movement under a platform called Students against Discrimination (SAD).
Yunus, the founder of the landmark Grameen Bank, was on a protracted row with the past regime for obscure reasons while a Bangladeshi court sentenced him to six months in jail for violating the Bangladesh labour laws in January last year.
However, he did not serve the sentence as an appeal process was underway on his behalf.
Wednesday&rsquo;s verdict came over her alleged leaked comments over phone after her ouster which prosecutors said threatened witnesses in ongoing hearings in ICT-BD that originally was formed to try hardened collaborators of Pakistani troops during Bangladesh&rsquo;s 1971 Liberation War.
In the audio clip, the ousted premier is allegedly heard telling local party leader and former chairman of a northwestern sub-district, Bulbul "I have had 227 cases filed against me, so I have received a licence to kill 227 people".
The tribunal considered the statement contemptuous and a direct attempt to undermine the court and handed down the sentence.
"The prosecution team believes her comment created an aura of fear among those who filed the cases and among the witnesses," the chief prosecutor later told the media.
Lawyers, however, said the main charge of commission of crimes against humanity could expose Hasina and several leaders and officials of the ousted regime to the gallows.
Hasina&rsquo;s state-appointed lawyer in the tribunal on Tuesday denied accusations that she committed crimes against humanity.
According to a UN rights office report, up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year as Hasina's government ordered a security crackdown on protesters.
Most leaders of the Awami League and ministers and several officials of the past regime were arrested or were on the run at home and abroad as the interim government initiated their trial for brutal actions to tame the uprising last year.&nbsp;

Kazi Habibul Awal and K M Nurul Huda, former election chiefs in Bangladesh, are arrested for allegedly manipulating elections under Sheikh Hasina's regime, sparking controversy and social media backlash.

Arrest of Former Election Chief Spark Controversy in Bangladesh

The arrests of former election officials Kazi Habibul Awal and K M Nurul Huda on manipulation charges intensify Bangladesh's political landscape. As social media outcries rise, interim leader Muhammad Yunus condemns mob actions amidst ongoing unrest.

Former Bangladesh election chiefs Kazi Habibul Awal and K M Nurul Huda face charges of election manipulation.

Bangladesh's former chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal was arrested on Wednesday, days after his predecessor K M Nurul Huda was taken into custody on charges of election manipulation during the Sheikh Hasina regime.
&ldquo;(Police&rsquo;s) detective branch (DB) arrested (Awal) him at around 2 pm from the Mogbazar area (in the capital),&rdquo; Dhaka Metropolitan Police&rsquo;s Deputy Commissioner Talebur Rahman said.
Awal is the second former election commission chief to be arrested this week after the Sunday night arrest of his predecessor K M Nurul Huda on charges of manipulating elections. Huda was also assaulted by a mob before his arrest.
Awal served as the 13th Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh from February 2022 to September 2024. His predecessor Huda served as CEC from February 2017 to February 2022.
Media reports said Awal was now in police custody awaiting his court appearance and subsequent legal procedures.
The arrests were made after former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) filed a case against 19 people, including Huda, for conducting general elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024 under Hasina regime "without people's mandate." Hasina had won all these elections.
Huda's assault triggered an uproar in social media, prompting Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus&rsquo; interim government to issue a statement around midnight.
It also warned of appropriate actions against such people.
The army troops, who now discharge tasks of law enforcement, later arrested one of the assailants and handed him over to the police for legal action.
Yunus took over as the head of the interim government after Hasina was ousted in a massive student-led protest in August last year. She fled to India following the toppling of her Awami League government.
Most senior leaders of the Awami League and ministers and senior officials of the ousted regime were arrested or fled the country after the fall of the then government.
Several of these leaders, including ministers, in the past several months, came under mob attack, particularly in court premises.
Bangladesh&rsquo;s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's residence at 32 Dhanmondi in Dhaka, which was turned into a memorial museum, was demolished by a mob using bulldozers in February this year.

Bangladesh's ICT-BD removes Titu from Hasina's trial after controversial posts; shifts focus to recent political allegations.

Bangladesh Tribunal Excludes Titu, New Hasina Trial

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal removes counsel Titu from Hasina's trial, refocusing on current political cases amid recent controversies.

Titu Removed from Hasina Trial by ICT-BD

ICT-BD removes Titu amid controversy over his past remarks on Hasina; shifts focus to recent allegations against her administration.

Bangladesh&rsquo;s crimes tribunal on Wednesday removed the state-appointed counsel for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina amid a controversy over his previous demand for her execution.
The Bangladesh&rsquo;s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) is running a trial against Hasina, whose nearly 16-year Awami League regime was toppled last year in a student-led protest on August 5.
According to officials here, the ICT-BD relieved Aminul Gani Titu as state defence counsel for Hasina, a day after the tribunal appointed him to defend the former prime minister, who has been accused of mass killings during July-August 2024 and enforced disappearances.
In a subsequent development, the ICT-BD appointed another lawyer, Amir Hossain, as the state defence counsel for Hasina and home minister in her cabinet Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
The tribunal's action came after Titu's remarks in a Facebook post last year recently boiled into a media controversy.
Talking to reporters, Titu acknowledged that he had made the demand regarding Hasina in his Facebook post hours ahead of her ouster on August 5, 2024, but had he been allowed to carry on his task, he would have done it professionally.
Hasina is now in India while most of her party leaders, including ministers and officials, are behind bars or on the run at home and abroad since the fall of her government.
The ICT-BD, which was originally formed to try hardened collaborators of Pakistani troops during the country&rsquo;s 1971 Liberation War on war crime charges, has now visibly shelved the 1971 war crimes cases initiated by the past regime.
Instead it has launched the trial process of Hasina and leaders and officials of her regime on identical charges like the Commission of Crimes Against Humanity.

During a talk in London, Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus expressed a desire for better ties with India but cited fake news and online content as persistent barriers. He also confirmed elections will be held by mid-2026.

Bangladesh wanted good ties with India, but 'something always went wrong': Yunus

During a talk in London, Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus expressed a desire for better ties with India but cited fake news and online content as persistent barriers. He also confirmed elections will be held by mid-2026.

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that his interim government wanted good relations with India, but "something always went wrong".
During an interaction with Chatham House think tank director Bronwen Maddox in London on Wednesday, Yunus addressed a wide range of issues including bilateral ties with India and the democratic roadmap for the country, starting with a &ldquo;July Charter&rdquo; next month.
Maddox referenced an informal diplomatic note issued to India seeking deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s extradition and sought an update on the matter.
&ldquo;This will continue&hellip; we want the whole process to be very legal, very proper&hellip; We want to build the best of relationship with India. It&rsquo;s our neighbour, we don&rsquo;t want to have any kind of basic problem with them,&rdquo; Yunus said.
&ldquo;But somehow things go wrong every time because of all the fake news coming from the Indian press&hellip; and many people say it has connections with policymakers on the top," he said.
"So, this is what makes Bangladesh very jittery, very, very angry. We try to get over this anger but a whole barrage of things keeps happening in cyberspace. We can&rsquo;t just get away from that&hellip; suddenly they say something, do something, anger comes back,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;This is our big task, to make sure we can have at least a peaceful life to go on with our life. To create the life we are dreaming of,&rdquo; he added.
On an audience question about the &ldquo;unclear role of India&rdquo; about Hasina, Yunus responded: &ldquo;All the anger (against Hasina) has now transferred to India because she went there.&rdquo; &ldquo;When I had a chance to talk to Prime Minister Modi, I simply said: you want to host her, I cannot force you to abandon that policy. But please help us in making sure she doesn&rsquo;t speak to Bangladeshi people the way she is doing (online). She announces on such and such date, such and such hour, she will speak and the whole (of) Bangladesh gets very angry,&rdquo; he said.
Yunus claimed Prime Minister Modi told him that Hasina's social media activities cannot be controlled.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s (an) explosive situation, you can&rsquo;t just walk away by saying it&rsquo;s the social media,&rdquo; he added.
The close ties between India and Bangladesh came under strain after Hasina's ouster.
She faces multiple cases in Bangladesh after being ousted on August 5 last year following a major student-led agitation in the country, which forced her to flee Dhaka.
Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Laureate, who took over as the head of an interim government in Bangladesh in August last year, announced last week that national elections will be held by the first half of 2026.
Asked if he would consider being part of the elected government, Yunus replied: &ldquo;No way.&rdquo; He arrived on Tuesday for a four-day visit to the UK, where he was greeted with protests by Hasina&rsquo;s Awami League party members in the UK. He is expected to meet King Charles III and senior members of the British government during the visit.

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