Bangladesh is experiencing significant disruptions, including the switch of schools to online classes and severe impacts on public transportation, due to a nationwide "lockdown" called by the former ruling Awami League party. This action is a protest against the ongoing trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who faces charges of crimes against humanity related to a crackdown on a student-led uprising in August 2024. Hasina has been in hiding since her ouster after the uprising, which resulted in hundreds of deaths. A special tribunal is expected to deliver a verdict against her on Monday.
The Awami League has urged its supporters to protest, while the government and opposition groups supporting Hasina's removal have vowed to prevent these demonstrations. The country has seen incidents of vandalism and violence, including a firebomb attack on a government office in Gopalganj, Hasina's ancestral home, and the torching of a Grameen Bank office. Explosions of crude bombs and torched vehicles have been reported in various locations, signaling continued political instability.
Security has been heightened across Bangladesh, with soldiers and other security agencies deployed to protect the special tribunal premises. Two key figures, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former Police Chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, are central to the ongoing trial. Al-Mamun is a state witness after pleading guilty, while Khan is believed to be in India. Both are being tried in absentia, along with Hasina. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty for Hasina, whom they accuse of orchestrating the crimes. The Awami League has denounced the tribunal as a "kangaroo court."
The interim government, which took over after Hasina's fall, had pledged parliamentary elections for February, but the Awami League claims thousands of its supporters have been arrested and is campaigning against participating in elections where the party is not allowed to compete. The current government's actions have also drawn con... download the app to read more
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