Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has announced plans to charge former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime with crimes against humanity, citing a violent crackdown during the July uprising and years of enforced disappearances. This decision follows Yunus’s meeting with ICC Prosecutor Karim A. Khan, who assured cooperation in supporting Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). The ICC has offered technical assistance, training, and guidance to help pursue the charges, aiming to hold Hasina’s administration accountable for human rights violations.
The announcement comes amid rising tensions over attacks on religious minorities, particularly the Hindu community, which constitutes about 8% of Bangladesh’s population. Since the fall of Hasina’s Awami League government in August, over 200 incidents targeting Hindus have been reported across 50 districts. The arrest of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges further escalated unrest, with protests erupting in Dhaka and Chattogram. Critics have accused the government of negligence and, at times, complicity in failing to address the growing extremism and violence.
During the meeting, Yunus and Khan also discussed the ongoing Rohingya crisis. The ICC has sought an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing over crimes against humanity. Both leaders emphasized the importance of a global conference in 2025 to address the Rohingya issue and the creation of a UN-secured safe zone in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. However, the deteriorating situation for Hindus in Bangladesh is drawing increasing international scrutiny, highlighting the broader challenges the nation faces in addressing religious and ethnic tensions.