Bangladesh ICT trials risk political retaliation, rights groups warn
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Bangladesh's revived International Crimes Tribunal has arrested three journalists and a writer on charges linked to the 2024 uprising that killed an estimated 1,400 people. Human rights groups warn the tribunal may be used against figures associated with the former government, echoing past criticism of political instrumentalization. The accused have been imprisoned for almost two years on murder charges in regular courts.
Key Facts
- An estimated 1,400 people died in the July 2024 uprising that led to Sheikh Hasina's ouster on August 5, 2024.
- The International Crimes Tribunal was created in 2010 based on the 1973 ICT act to prosecute atrocities committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
- Three journalists and a secular writer have been imprisoned for almost two years on murder charges in regular courts and are now accused before the ICT of crimes against humanity through incitement.
- Dr. Muhammad Yunus, then head of the interim government, acknowledged in a Daily Star interview on November 21, 2024, that murder cases against journalists had been 'done hastily'.
- Asif Nazrul, then law adviser, disclosed at a press-freedom roundtable on June 26, 2025, that 266 journalists had been sued.
ICT Revival and Criticism
The International Crimes Tribunal was revived to contribute to accountability, reconciliation, and a sense of justice for the Bangladeshi people after the July 2024 uprising. Created in 2010 based on the 1973 ICT act, the tribunal was designed to prosecute atrocities committed during the 1971 Liberation War. It was heavily criticized, especially in 2011-2012 but throughout Sheikh Hasina's tenure, for being used to put opposition figures on trial for 1971-era crimes. The ICT was seen as politically instrumentalized and lacking due process.
Journalists Facing Charges
Four Bangladeshi journalists – Farzana Rupa, her husband Shakil Ahmed, Mozammel Babu, and Shyamal Dutta – and writer Shahriar Kabir have faced criminal proceedings connected to the uprising. Rupa and Shakil were initially arrested at Dhaka airport on August 21, 2024, in connection with a murder case concerning the death of a garment worker named Fazlul. Rupa reportedly faces nine murder cases, while Shakil faces six. Mozammel Babu, Shyamal Dutta, and Shahriar Kabir were arrested in September 2024 under similar uprising-related murder charges.
Government Response and Due Process
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, then head of the interim government, acknowledged in a Daily Star interview published on November 21, 2024, that the murder cases filed against journalists had been 'done hastily' and distanced the government from the charges. His then law adviser, Asif Nazrul, went further at a press-freedom roundtable on June 26, 2025, disclosing that 266 journalists had been sued. Human rights organizations have condemned the murder charges and raised concerns that the tribunal may now be used against figures associated with the former governing order, including journalists. Toby Cadman, a human rights lawyer and former advisor to the ICT's Chief Prosecutor, said the trials must meet the highest standards of due process, including properly particularized charges, timely disclosure, effective access to counsel, and meaningful judicial review of detention.
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Bangladesh ICT trials risk political retaliation, rights groups warn
