Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir has described the International Crimes Tribunal verdict against Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun in a crimes-against-humanity case as an “inevitable outcome of justice.”
In a joint statement issued on Monday, Central President Zahidul Islam and Secretary General Nurul Islam Saddam said the ruling fulfilled the expectations of the nation. According to the organisation, the ICT verdict reflects what “the people of the country had long hoped for.”
The leaders alleged that during the July-August student-public uprising, it was the “fugitive Sheikh Hasina” who planned the violence alongside law enforcement agencies, with activists of the Chhatra League, Jubo League and Awami League accused of participating.
They claimed that, under her directives, coordinated attacks across the country resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand people, including 133 children.
The statement said the verdict marks “the first step toward justice” for the families of victims, adding that swift implementation is required to ensure full accountability.
Chhatra Shibir leaders also called for investigations into other incidents, including the July killings, the 2009 Pilkhana massacre, violence following the verdict of Allama Sayeedi, the Shapla Chattar crackdown, the Paltan tragedy, and all cases of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and political violence. Only then, they argued, would future crimes against humanity be prevented.
They further demanded that individuals and institutions accused of supporting or sustaining authoritarian rule be brought under legal scrutiny.
Terming the verdict a “lesson for all,” the organisation said that no autocratic ruler has ever survived by acting against the people, and that “those who attempt to establish fascism in the future will face the same consequences.”
Chhatra Shibir urged that Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal be brought back to Bangladesh through Interpol and international legal mechanisms to implement the court’s decision.
The group also expressed hope that the Indian government would extradite fugitives convicted of crimes against humanity, cautioning that failure to do so could strain long-standing bilateral relations.
