Dhaka, Nov 13, (dpa/GNA) – Violence erupted across Bangladesh, after the former ruling party, the Awami League, called for a nationwide “lockdown” to protest an upcoming verdict in the trial of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, over her government’s crackdown on last year’s uprising.
The International Crimes Tribunal, a specialized court in Dhaka, is set to deliver its ruling on Monday, in the case concerning Hasina and two of her aides, Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam said on Thursday.
“No street agitation will have any impact on the verdict,” he added.
“We promised that if anyone commits a crime in Bangladesh, no matter who they are or how powerful they are, they will be brought to justice,” Islam said, expressing hope for a fair outcome.
Hasina, who has been in exile in India since her ouster in August last year, is accused of crimes against humanity for the brutal suppression of the 2024 protests, which the UN estimates left about 1,400 dead. During the trial’s closing arguments last month, the prosecution sought the death penalty.
The Awami League announced Thursday’s nationwide “lockdown” to protest what it calls a “kangaroo court” established by the interim government of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to try Hasina in absentia. The Awami League has been banned by the interim government.
Authorities deployed additional security forces in Dhaka and surrounding districts, after reports of sporadic crude bomb attacks and vehicle arson linked to the protests.
On Thursday, traffic in the usually congested capital was thin, with pedal rickshaws dominating the streets. Most long-haul buses stayed off the roads after Awami League protesters, set up barricades on major highways by burning tyres and setting vehicles on fire.
Several thousand protesters blocked the expressway connecting Dhaka to the southern port city of Khulna, chanting slogans against the interim government for what they deem a politically motivated case against Hasina.
Private broadcaster Jamuna Television, reported arson attacks on vehicles in at least seven districts outside Dhaka since Wednesday night.
Within the capital, police arrested at least three people for setting fire to a train stationed in Tejgaon. Two crude bombs were also exploded on the University of Dhaka campus.
Most schools in Dhaka shifted classes online, due to the severe disruptions to public transport.
In a press statement, Awami League leader, Obaidul Quader, called on his party’s supporters to stand against the “misrule” of the unelected interim administration.
Yunus, who assumed power in August 2024 after Hasina was ousted, has promised to hold national elections in Bangladesh next February, as he pursues sweeping state reforms. However, Hasina’s Awami League will be barred from standing in it.
In a televised address to the nation on Thursday afternoon, Yunus announced that the constitutional reforms agenda, known as the July National Charter 2025, will be placed for referendum on the same day with parliamentary election in February next year.
“The referendum will be held on the same day as the national elections, in the first half of February next year. This will not hinder the goal of the reforms anyway,” he said.
The date for the election, however, is yet to be set.
The referendum will seek the consent of the people on a set of reform proposals that the interim government finalized, after a series of consultations with the political parties.
GNA