Bangladesh Braces for Turmoil as Nationwide Lockdown Called Ahead of Hasina Verdict

Bangladesh Prepares for Widespread Disruption Ahead of Hasina Verdict

Dhaka, Bangladesh — Schools, universities and public transport were heavily disrupted Thursday after the ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and her now-banned Awami League urged a nationwide “lockdown” to protest the ongoing trial related to last year’s deadly unrest.

Hasina, toppled in August 2024 after weeks of violence that left hundreds dead, is facing charges of crimes against humanity tied to a crackdown on a student-led uprising that ended her 15-year tenure. She has been living in exile in India and has not appeared publicly or online.

Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam said at a news conference that a special tribunal in Dhaka is expected to hand down a verdict on Monday. Prosecutors previously sought the death penalty, calling Hasina the “mastermind and principal architect” of crimes against humanity alleged during the unrest.

Authorities tightened security nationwide after the Awami League urged supporters to demonstrate and the interim government vowed to block mass protests. Schools in Dhaka and other major cities moved classes and exams online as public transport was severely affected and usually congested streets remained largely empty.

Scattered violence and vandalism continued: over the past three days there were reports of crude explosives and vehicles set ablaze across Dhaka and other regions. On Wednesday evening a train and a bus were torched in the capital, and crude bombs exploded earlier on the Dhaka University campus. A firebomb struck a government office in Gopalganj district, a traditional Awami League stronghold.

Local media also reported that an office of Grameen Bank — the microcredit institution founded by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who leads the interim government — was set on fire in eastern Bangladesh. Yunus is expected to address the nation Thursday afternoon, his press office said.

Security forces were deployed to guard the special tribunal, which is also hearing charges against former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. Al-Mamun has pleaded guilty and is acting as a state witness (an "approver") against Hasina; prosecutors have not sought punishment for him. Khan is believed to be in India. Both Hasina and Khan are being tried in absentia.

Estimates of the death toll from the unrest vary. A United Nations report in February said up to 1,400 people may have been killed, while the interim government’s health adviser reported more than 800 deaths and roughly 14,000 injuries. Hasina has disputed those figures and demanded an independent investigation.

In recent weeks several Indian outlets published emailed interviews with Hasina, prompting Bangladesh’s foreign ministry to summon India’s deputy high commissioner in Dhaka to register concerns about her access to Indian media. In those interviews Hasina accused Yunus of backing Islamist forces and violating the rights of her supporters. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed, told The Associated Press that only an inclusive election could stabilize the country.

The interim government has pledged to hold parliamentary elections in February; the Awami League — which says thousands of its supporters have been arrested — has warned it may denounce any vote that excludes the party.

Note: This report is based on official statements and local media reports. Details remain fluid as security and legal developments continue.