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Published : 14 Oct 2025, 10:21 PM
International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam has claimed that ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s “command responsibility” has been proven in the prosecution’s argument in the crimes against humanity case.
The hearing entered its third day on Tuesday, concluding the prosecution’s argument for the day. The tribunal will continue the proceedings on Wednesday.
The prosecution began presenting its argument on Sunday, focusing on two of the five charges brought against Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
To establish crimes against humanity, the prosecution focused on proving “widespread attack” and “systematic attack”.
Tajul argued that both have been proven against Hasina during the three-day hearing.
Under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the terms “widespread attack” and “systematic attack” are part of the definition of crimes against humanity.
The chief prosecutor claimed that Hasina committed both forms of the crime.
On the second day of argument, to substantiate “widespread attack”, Tajul referred to incidents between Jul 16 and Aug 5, 2024, citing contemporary media reports.
He read excerpts describing coordinated assaults across the country involving law-enforcing agencies, Awami League members, and Bangladesh Chhatra League activists.
To demonstrate “systematic attack”, he played audio recordings of conversations allegedly involving Hasina, Hasanul Haq Inu, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, and the then Dhaka University vice-chancellor ASM Maksud Kamal.
According to the prosecution, these audio clips revealed discussions about the use of lethal weapons, deployment of paratroopers from helicopters, bomb attacks, arrests of protesters, assaults on state institutions to shift blame onto demonstrators, and other planned operations.
Tajul also referred to remarks by Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, arguing that subsequent attacks by Chhatra League members on general students were “pre-planned”.
On the third day of argument, the tribunal was shown Hasina’s Jul 24, 2024, press conference at Ganabhaban, alongside nine videos recorded on mobile phones from different parts of the country.
The clips reportedly included footage of shootings, including the killings of Abu Sayed and several unnamed victims in Jatrabari and Rampura, as well as scenes of police firing in Chankharpul and the disposal of a body from an armoured vehicle.
“There are thousands of such videos,” Tajul said, adding that only a few selected ones were presented in court.
The tribunal also heard a police wireless message “containing instructions for attacks on protesters”.
He added, “These pieces of evidence demonstrate that the chain of command -- from the prime minister to the home minister, then to the inspector general of police, and finally to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police -- clearly shows a series of planned directives leading to coordinated assaults.”
Hasina, Asaduzzaman, and Al-Mamun face five charges in the case. The tribunal framed charges against them on Jul 10.
The 54th and final witness in the case was the investigation officer Md Alamgir.
On Oct 6, state-appointed defence lawyer Amir Hossain completed the cross-examination on behalf of the suspects.
