Dhaka (Bangladesh) July 11: The Awami League has renewed its sharp criticism of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), branding it as illegitimate and politically driven. The party alleged that the tribunal is being used by the interim regime to falsely implicate former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and others in fabricated charges.
According to reports, the ICT recently framed charges against Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdullah Al Mamun for alleged “crimes against humanity” related to the July 2023 uprising. Mamun has reportedly agreed to testify as a prosecution witness.
In a statement, the Awami League condemned the case as a calculated attempt to wrongfully convict Hasina and her associates. The party claimed that investigators, unable to produce concrete evidence, resorted to coercion and torture to pressure Mamun into testifying against the co-accused.
The party described the tribunal’s conduct as unconstitutional and part of a broader political vendetta led by the “fascist regime” of Yunus. It argued that the move was retaliation for Hasina’s previous role in prosecuting 1971 war criminals during her tenure as Prime Minister.
Expressing grave concern over the treatment of Mamun and his family, the Awami League alleged that the former IGP was tortured in custody and threatened with execution unless he agreed to cooperate. His family, too, reportedly faced harassment and threats of imprisonment.
The party further claimed that government representatives promised Mamun release in exchange for testimony tailored to the prosecution’s narrative. It condemned such actions as a gross violation of human rights and a breach of both national laws and constitutional principles.
Stating that Hasina is innocent and no credible evidence has been presented against her, the Awami League called upon both the people of Bangladesh and the international community to denounce what it termed as a blatant miscarriage of justice and a humanitarian crisis orchestrated for political revenge.
