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Classes and transport were severely disrupted in Bangladesh on Thursday as the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and his former regime Awami League The party called for a nationwide “lockdown” in protest against his trial over last year’s protests, which left hundreds dead.
A special tribunal in the capital of Bangladesh, DhakaThe date for the verdict was due to be announced against Hasina, who faces charges of crimes against humanity, including a crackdown on the student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule. Since then he has been in exile in India.
Schools in Dhaka and major cities across Bangladesh resumed online classes and exams, while public transport was severely disrupted on Thursday as the interim government stepped up security across the country.
The development has created tension in the South Asian nation and the now-banned Awami League party has urged its supporters and others to protest, while the government and Hasina’s opposition have vowed to stop them.
There have been reports of crude bombs exploding and vehicles being set on fire in Dhaka and elsewhere over the past three days, indicating that political chaos will continue in the country, which has a history of political violence.
On Wednesday evening, arson was reported on a train and a bus in Dhaka, and crude bombs were thrown at the Dhaka University campus during the day.
Interim leader of Bangladesh, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad YunusWill address the nation on Thursday afternoon, his press office said. Yunus took over as head of the interim government three days after Hasina’s fall on August 5 last year and vowed to punish her.
On Thursday morning, troops were deployed along with other security agencies to protect the compound of the special tribunal, which was due to announce judgment day in a case that also involves former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former police chief Chaudhry Abdullah al-Mamun. Al-Mamun is a “consent” in the case, meaning he pleaded guilty and became a government witness against Hasina.
Al-Mamun was brought to the tribunal on Thursday amid tight security, while Khan is also believed to be in India. Both Hasina and Khan are being tried in absentia.
Hasina was ousted on August 5 last year after weeks of violence that left hundreds dead. The interim government had promised that parliamentary elections would be held in February, but Hasina’s Awami League has launched a campaign against it, mainly on social media, over not being allowed to participate in the elections.
The party has called the tribunal hearing the charges against Hasina a “kangaroo court”. Hasina has not appointed a lawyer and has condemned the appointment of a lawyer by the state to represent her.
Last month, the tribunal’s chief prosecutor Tajul Islam had sought the death penalty for Hasina. In its arguments, Islam called him the “mastermind and principal architect” behind crimes against humanity during the insurgency.
The United Nations said in a February report that 1,400 people may have been killed in the violence, while the country’s health adviser under the interim government said more than 800 were killed and about 14,000 were injured.
Hasina disputed the figures and demanded an independent investigation.
In another development, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe to Dhaka and formally conveyed its concerns over India allowing “fugitive” Hasina to interact with mainstream Indian media.
Several Indian outlets published interviews of Hasina in recent weeks, apparently angering the current government of Bangladesh.
In her interview, Hasina accused Yunus of supporting Islamists and violating human and political rights, especially of his supporters. The Yunus-led administration has banned all activities of Hasina’s party. In interviews, Hasina vowed to fight back, with her son saying in an interview with The Associated Press that only an inclusive election could stabilize the country.