Security heightens in Bangladesh ahead of verdict in case against Sheikh Hasina

Dhaka, [Bangladesh] November 17 (ANI): Security has been heightened outside the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) ahead of the announcement of the verdict in the case accusing ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun of committing crimes against humanity during the July-August unrest that followed the anti-discrimination student movement.
Tribunal-1, a three-member bench headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, is scheduled to announce its judgment on Monday afternoon.
Closing arguments concluded on October 23, with Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam and Attorney General Mohammad Asaduzzaman presenting the prosecution's final statements, as reported by Dhaka Tribune.
State-appointed defence counsel Md Amir Hossain argued on behalf of the accused, with prosecutors Mizanul Islam, Gazi MH Tamim, Faruk Ahmed, Moinul Karim, ABM Sultan Mahmud, and others in attendance.
The tribunal had initially fixed November 13 for the verdict, before rescheduling it for November 17, according to Dhaka Tribune.
Up to October 22, the state defence presented arguments for the absconding accused--Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal--as well as for the present "royal witness," former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
The prosecution has sought the maximum punishment for all three.
The defence, after three days of submissions, urged the tribunal to acquit them, challenging the credibility of several key witnesses, including Mamun himself, Daily Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman, and National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam.
Hossain dismissed their testimonies outright, arguing that Mamun's cooperation was coerced and that Mahmudur Rahman's political leanings biased his statement. Mamun's lawyer, Zayed Bin Amjad, later delivered separate arguments on behalf of the witness-accused.
A dramatic turn came on July 10, when former IGP Mamun openly admitted responsibility for the killings and violence during the July-August unrest.
Appearing before Tribunal-1, he stated: "The accusations of murder and genocide brought against us during the July-August movement are true. I plead guilty. I want to help the court unravel the full truth."
His confession came the same day the tribunal formally framed charges against all three accused, rejecting their petitions for release.
The prosecution has brought five charges of crimes against humanity, supported by extensive documentation: 8,747 pages in total, including 2,018 pages of references, 405 pages of seized materials, and a 2,724-page list of the dead.
With the verdict due this afternoon, Monday's ruling is expected to be one of the most consequential in the tribunal's recent history. (ANI)