Petition Concerning the Verdict Against Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh

November 18, 2025

The Honorable António Guterres

Secretary-General

The United Nations

 New York, USA

Subject: Petition Concerning the Verdict Against Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh

Your Excellency,

The Global Centre for Democratic Governance (GCDG) respectfully submits this petition to convey our profound concern regarding the verdict delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on November 17, 2025.

The regime change of August 8 2024 – marked by violent confrontation between secular pro-liberation and anti-liberation forces, the confirmed deaths of 836 people (Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, Bangladesh), and thousands of alleged political killings and widespread atrocities committed during the tenure of the Interim Government – created an urgent and historic need for a credible, impartial, and rights-based justice process. Such a process could have advanced national reconciliation, democratic transition, and the restoration of public trust in state institutions.

Regrettably, the Interim Government has failed to uphold these obligations. Instead, it has overseen a judicial process that falls well short of internationally recognized standards of due process, fairness, and judicial independence. The proceedings represent not the pursuit of justice, but a grave misuse of state authority and an alarming erosion of the rule of law. We respectfully draw Your Excellency’s attention to the following critical concerns.

1. A Tribunal Engineered for Political Retribution

The ICT established in 1973 through passing the ICT Act 1973 and amended through the Parliament in 2011 to prosecute collaborators and war criminals of the 1971 Liberation War, has been misused far beyond its mandate. Deploying a tribunal created for historical war crimes to target a former elected head of government is legally indefensible and politically motivated.

The composition of the ICT reveals a judicial mechanism shaped by political motives rather than legal principles. Judges and all 17 prosecutors appointed to the tribunal possess explicit political affiliations. Of particular concern is the appointment of Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, a senior Jamaat leader and former defense counsel for Jamaat-e-Islami war crimes accused. Such appointments render the tribunal structurally biased, transforming it into a partisan instrument instead of an independent judicial body. No verdict issued by such a compromised tribunal can legitimately be recognized under international standards.

2. A Trial Conducted in Violation of Fundamental Rights

The trial was executed at a recklessly accelerated speed, culminating in a verdict delivered in the absence of the defendants and their approved defense lawyers.  These constitute

        a severe breach of fundamental fair-trial guarantees, including:

• the presumption of innocence,
• the right of the accused to be present, and
• the right to mount an adequate and meaningful defense.

Contradictory evidence was not subjected to cross-examination, and the proceedings clearly indicated external interference and procedural manipulation. The conduct and timing of the trial strongly suggest that its purpose was not justice, but the electoral weakening of the Bangladesh Awami League at the upcoming general election scheduled in February 2026.

3. Demand for Immediate Annulment and Establishment of a Credible Justice Process

GCDG rejects the legitimacy of the current proceedings and calls for the immediate suspension of all ongoing ICT trials until independent, transparent, and impartial review mechanisms are established. GCDG considers the verdict to be legally untenable, procedurally defective, and politically influenced. We therefore petition for its immediate annulment and call for the initiation of a new judicial process that guarantees:

• A properly structured, impartial trial addressing victims and perpetrators on both sides of the July–August 2024 conflict, as well as politically motivated killings and atrocities committed after the regime change and during the Interim Government’s rule.
• Appointment of judges and prosecutors based solely on competence, integrity, and independence, entirely free from political affiliation or influence.
• Full protection of defendants’ legal rights, including presence at trial, adequate defense, and the opportunity to examine and cross-examine all evidence and witnesses.
• A judiciary empowered to decide exclusively on facts, evidence, and law.
• A justice process insulated from all political pressure, coercion, inducements, threats, or interference.

Bangladesh now stands at a decisive crossroads. The integrity of its justice system – and the credibility of its democratic future – are under serious threat. No nation can advance when justice is weaponized for political gain.

4. Appeal to the United Nations

We urgently appeal to the United Nations to intervene and ensure that Bangladesh upholds universally recognized standards of fairness and due process. We respectfully request your Excellency’s urgent attention to this matter of grave national and international concern.

With highest consideration,

The Global Centre for Democratic Governance (GCDG)