‘Orchestrating Mass Killings, Gross Human Rights Violations…’: The Charges Against Sheikh Hasina

A list of offences forms the core of the prosecution’s case against ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leading to her conviction and death sentence. According to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) documents and chargesheets, Hasina has been held responsible for a series of actions that investigators say directly enabled the violent crackdown on protesters and systematic human rights violations during her tenure.

Command Responsibility for Mass Killings

Hasina has been charged with authorising operations that resulted in the death of over 1,400 protesters across multiple districts. Prosecutors argued that the chain of command flowed directly from the Prime Minister’s Office, making her liable for the scale and continuity of the violence.

Abuse of State Machinery

The Tribunal noted that state agencies, including elite units, were allegedly deployed outside the constitutional framework, targeting political opponents, student leaders and civil society groups. The misuse of these forces forms a major component of the charges.

Gross Human Rights Violations Under UN Statutes

Investigators cited multiple violations under UN-defined human rights and humanitarian law standards, claiming that the actions undertaken during the crackdown constitute some of the “highest recorded abuses in the country's contemporary history”.

Suppression of Democratic Rights

Hasina is accused of unlawfully curbing freedom of expression, assembly and press activity, including ordering the detention of journalists and imposing Emergency measures without legislative sanction.

Conspiracy to Silence Opposition

The charges also include a structured conspiracy to dismantle Opposition networks through arrests, disappearances and intimidation, which the prosecution argued was part of a long-term political strategy.

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Subversion of Constitutional Order

The tribunal held that Hasina’s actions amounted to derailment of the constitutional process, with repeated overrides of judicial and administrative norms.