Dhaka, Nov 17 (V7N) — The verdict in the high-profile war crimes and crimes against humanity case, involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two others, is scheduled to be announced today. The judgment will be delivered by a three-member panel of the International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder.

This marks the first verdict in a case concerning crimes committed during the July mass uprising. The other two accused in the case are a former Home Minister and a former Inspector General of Police. The ruling is expected at 11:00 am.

Since the July uprising, a total of 586 cases have been filed across the country against Sheikh Hasina. Among these, four cases are currently under investigation at the International Crimes Tribunal. She has been named the primary accused in multiple charges, including abduction, attempted murder, and acts of violence, with 324 of the cases being related to homicide. The Anti-Corruption Commission has filed six cases within this total.

Additionally, over fifty other complaints have been submitted to the tribunal’s investigative agency, including cases filed by BNP leaders such as Salahuddin Ahmed, Pirojpur’s Sukhranjan Bali, and Michael Chakma. These complaints are under verification, and if substantiated, they could be converted into formal cases.

The first case against Sheikh Hasina was filed on August 13 last year, related to the alleged killing of Abu Saeed. Investigations are ongoing under the supervision of Mohammadpur police. According to recent statistics from the Police Headquarters, a total of 1,612 cases were registered nationwide following the July–August uprising, covering charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, arson, intimidation, looting, extortion, and illegal occupation. Out of these, 599 were homicide cases, and the remaining 1,013 involved other offenses. Sheikh Hasina faces 324 murder cases among 580 total cases filed against her nationwide.

Prosecutor Mizanul Islam has emphasized that the tribunal proceedings are being conducted transparently and according to legal norms. “Undoubtedly, the trial is proceeding in a fair and orderly manner. Any attempts to create chaos will be firmly countered by law enforcement agencies,” he said.

However, senior lawyer Z. I. Khan Panna expressed skepticism regarding the long-term significance of the verdict, noting that if political power shifts in the future, the ruling may not hold. He cited the example of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, whose cases were annulled when he assumed office as Chief Adviser. “Whether a sentence is delivered or not is less important to me. I do not attach significance to this trial,” he told the media.

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