Bangladesh: Awami League calls for nationwide shutdown on Tuesday after 'illegal' verdict against Hasina

Dhaka, Nov 17 Bangladesh's Awami League party has called for a nationwide shutdown on Tuesday and announced demonstrations and protests from November 19–21 in the entire country while rejecting the "illegal" verdict of the country’s so-called International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) after conducting a "farcical trial" against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two others.

The call for shutdown and nationwide protests came hours after the ICT on Monday pronounced a death sentence for the former Prime Minister after finding her guilty on the charges of "crimes against humanity" related to the demonstrations in July 2024.

The ICT also convicted two of Hasina's top aides, sentencing former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who turned state witness, to five years' imprisonment.

"An illegal verdict has been delivered today against the Honorable Prime Minister, Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina, and others through a farcical trial conducted by the illegal ICT Tribunal, established by the illegal usurper, killer–fascist Yunus and his associates. This verdict has been prepared by trampling upon the laws and legal system of Bangladesh. It was premeditated — a scheme to take revenge for the trials of the anti-humanity war criminals. Therefore, despite failing to prove charges and crimes, this verdict has been issued," read a statement issued by the Awami League.

"It is a clear conspiracy, jointly produced by anti-state and anti-independence forces, to destroy the Bangladesh envisioned by the Liberation War. The people of Bengal will not accept this, and we strongly reject the verdict given by this illegal tribunal," the statement added.

Following the controversial ICT verdict, Hasina alleged that the judgement announced against her came from a “rigged tribunal” set up and presided over by the unelected interim government led by Muhammad Yunus which lacks a democratic mandate. The former PM termed the ruling as biased and politically motivated.

"In their distasteful call for the death penalty, they reveal the brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures within the interim government to remove Bangladesh’s last elected Prime Minister, and to nullify the Awami League as a political force. Millions of Bangladeshis toiling under the chaotic, violent and socially-regressive administration of Dr Mohammad Yunus will not be fooled by this attempt to short-change them of their democratic rights. They can see that the trials conducted by the so-called International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) were never intended to achieve justice or provide any genuine insight into the events of July and August 2025. Rather, their purpose was to scapegoat the Awami League and to distract the world’s attention from the failings of Dr Yunus and his ministers,” read a statement issued by former PM Hasina earlier in the day.

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