Dhaka on edge as Sheikh Hasina calls for nationwide shutdown ahead of ICT verdict

Bangladesh shook with late-night blasts and sirens on Sunday as authorities scrambled to contain unrest ahead of a verdict that could define Dhaka's next chapter — the Crimes Tribunal’s ruling against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The tribunal is set to deliver its judgment on charges of crimes against humanity linked to last year’s deadly July Uprising. Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Hasina, who is currently in India. She and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal were tried in absentia.

Hasina’s message to supporters came in a long emotional audio address uploaded to the Awami League’s Facebook page overnight, urging party workers to continue street protests despite the ban. "There is nothing to be afraid of. I am alive. I will live. I will support the people of the country," she said.

AWAMI LEAGUE CALLS NATIONWIDE SHUTDOWN

The Awami League called a November 17 shutdown shortly before the verdict in protest against what it says is a politically engineered trial. In her emotional message, Hasina praised supporters for joining earlier demonstrations and called on them to confront the interim government.

"We have given a call for protest I hope that the people of Bangladesh will fulfil this program and show these usurers, murderers, militants, Yunus and those who are with him," she said. "Awami League will not be allowed to do politics But it is not that simple. This Awami League was built from the soil of the people. Its roots are very deep."

She accused the Muhammad Yunus–led interim government of orchestrating her removal and persecuting party workers. The ousted leader referenced incidents of harassment, saying activists were being blocked from schools, attacked in public and denied basic freedoms.

Hasina also claimed Bangladesh was being "turned into a militant state," saying the government had "blocked the path to justice" by releasing those responsible for killings and arson. "Those who have killed police one after another lawyers, journalists, cultural activists their families will never get justice," she said.

HASINA CALLS TRIAL 'ILLEGAL'

Hasina again dismissed the charges as fabricated. "You know that all the charges that the Chief Prosecutor of that court has brought against me are all false," she said. She accused the ICT of violating the 1973 law governing war-crimes trials, insisting that its formation did not follow legal guidelines laid out in Article 114.

Calling Yunus a "usurper," she said, "If someone forcibly removes elected representatives from power, they will be punished. But that’s what he did He removed me from power through his meticulous design."

She reiterated that she did not order killings during the July unrest and alleged that violence came from forces loyal to Yunus: "I did not order anyone to be killed. The order to kill was given by Dr. Muhammad Yunus."

CRUDE BOMB BLASTS AND ARSON SHAKE DHAKA

The shutdown call came as Dhaka recorded several explosions late Sunday. Two crude bombs detonated outside the residence of Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an adviser in the interim government, around 9 pm. A separate explosion rocked the Karwan Bazar area. No casualties were reported.

Police said unidentified attackers also torched parked buses and set fire to a waste-dumping corner at a police station complex. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali authorised his force to fire on violent protesters. "Anyone who sets a bus on fire or throws crude bombs with intent to kill should be shot. This authority is clearly provided in our law," he said.

The capital has witnessed repeated predawn explosions since November 10, including blasts at the Grameen Bank headquarters in Mirpur and coordinated attacks on its branches.

According to Dhaka Tribune, Dhaka was placed under an unprecedented security lockdown after Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali on Sunday evening "issued a shoot-at-sight order" against anyone involved in arson, crude bomb attacks or attempts to harm police or civilians.

VERDICT TO BE BROADCAST LIVE

Prosecutors said parts of the judgment will be aired live on state-run BTV and streamed on ICT-BD’s official Facebook page. ICT-BD law bars Hasina from appealing unless she is arrested or surrenders within 30 days.

Interim government adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the verdict "will be executed" regardless of outcome. Security forces are on high alert nationwide.

Earlier, Sajeeb Wazed, son and adviser of Sheikh Hasina, had warned that supporters of her Awami League would obstruct next February’s national election if a ban on the party remained in place.

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