37
Published on June 21, 2025
The commencement of the today's proceedings is yet another reminder of the concerning state into which Bangladesh has descended under the rule of its unelected, undemocratic leader Dr Muhammad Yunus.
The UN itself expressed concerns over the lack of due process and fair trial concerns within the ICT, which, since Dr Yunus seized power, has been used a weapon of purely political means with no regard for judicial fairness or impartiality.
Since August last year, the ICT has filed prosecutions against only Awami League members, while widespread crimes against ordinary Bangladeshis, journalists, religious minorities and women remain un-investigated.
The Awami League categorically denies the charges that its senior leaders, and the Prime Minister personally, directed the use of lethal force against crowds during the protests of last summer.
We do not deny that, in a fast-moving and febrile situation, breakdowns in discipline among some members of the security forces on the ground in response to instances of violence led to regrettable loss of life.
But it is incorrect to characterise this as a coordinated attack by the country's elected leadership against its own people. The political leadership had no part in formulating or directing the crowd control tactics used by the security forces at street level.
Indeed in early August, the Awami League sought to investigate and seek accountability for these matters by establishing an inquiry commission and inviting the UN to observe events on the ground.
This cannot and would not be a fair trial in any jurisdiction when officials of the current unelected administration have already - and publicly - labelled Sheikh Hasina as guilty."
This work is copyrighted and authorized by the Bangladesh Awami League. You may download, display, print and re-produce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice)for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organization.
