Will Sheikh Hasina Trial Unite or Divide Bangladesh Further?

Reckoning or Rupture

Can Sheikh Hasina’s Trial Heal a Divided Bangladesh?

The political earthquake that was experienced in Bangladesh over the last year was nothing short of the events that were held. In 2024, the Monsoon Revolution initiated by students, sparked by demonstrations claiming that one of the quota systems was a significant abuse of power quickly turned out to be a nationwide uprising that unseated the long-standing government of Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh is on the brink of the abyss with the former Prime Minister in absentia and awaiting a trial on crimes against humanity in court. Whether this trial will be a reckoning and catharsis or just another chapter in a decades-long cycle of political division is the question that, in the air, will determine the future of the country and reverberate throughout the society that is deeply divided.

Serious Accusations

The accusations against Sheikh Hasina are serious. She is being accused of crimes against humanity and incitement, conspiracy, and abetting of murders and torture of hundreds of protesters. These accusations are related to the violent suppression of the student movement, which a UN Fact-Finding Mission estimated had resulted in 1,400 people being killed. However, few sources say they are tens of thousands injured. This trial is the first real chance of justice to many of the families of the victims. They demand the loss of extreme human lives against her administration last gasp to grasp its power. The trial is an opportunity to get the truth down in black and white and bring a hitherto unimpeachable leader to face justice whether she is found guilty or not.

The venue of the trial also has its irony and historic importance — the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT). This court was created by the government of which Sheikh Hasina is a leader to prosecute the war crimes at the Liberation War of 1971. Although largely praised in delivering closure over some of the darker moments in the country, the ICT was also accused of bias in that most of the accused it found guilty belonged to opposition parties, especially the Jamaat-e-Islami. That is the history of selective justice casting its long shadow on the current case. The use, even in the past, of such tribunal as a political tool has cast into shadows its credibility even when it is being utilized to bring the very individual who created that tribunal to justice.

Cycles of Political Revenge

It is true that Bangladeshi politics is like a trend of repetition of revenge and retribution. The two leading political dynastical families, the Awami League (family of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) (family of Zia ur Rahman) have been changing in power since independence, each of the them getting the levers of power of the state to go after the other family. Whenever one side assumes power, the leaders of the other side are usually thrown in prison either on corruption or other politically based charges. The leader of the BNP, Khaleda Zia, was sent to jail several times under the rule of Hasina. On the other hand, Hasina herself was imprisoned in 2007 by a military backed transitional government on corruption charges. This political hostility goes round and has led to uncertainty of institutions and corruption of discourse, thus leading to no attempt to reconcile at all.

Revolution or Revenge?

The same is the case now a days. Since Hasina was overthrown, interim government started what some describe as another spin-off purge that is politically provoked. The Awami League has been banned, and its offices have been stormed and thousands of its supporters have been arrested in a massive crackdown. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who became the leader of the newly formed interim government, is very pressurized by different lobbies including the very strong new political party the National Citizen Party (NCP) which was formed under the student’s movement. The NCP is also demanding the outlawing of Awami League permanently and the trial to be completed. Such acts, which are presented as revolutionary justice, are perceived as misguided departure of democracy as well as a risk to the concept of a pluralistic Bangladesh.

Justice or Justification?

And so, this brings us to the main question: will this trial come up as a reckoning or a breach? The road to a true reckoning must start with the fact that the trial had to be first and foremost impartial. It would require the full and open course of law not clouded by politics that will provide a clear precedent on accountability. To do this, the trial would have to be seen as a peaceful justice towards victims and not a political success towards the opposition. Should the court, despite its checkered history, be able to receive a fair trial and pass judgment on the basis solely of evidence, it would be able to start repairing the judicial system shredded in this country. A transparent procedure, whether successful or not, would be a constructive step toward a day when a political leader would be seen as not be above the law.

Global Stakes and the India Factor

The international community is keeping a close eye on the situation. Another interference is the call by the United States, the European Union, and other international parties to have a peaceful and democratic transition, whose say is not all that strong. Their commitment to these principles will be put to trial, as well as by the actions of the interim government. Such a case has been presented by the traditional ally of the Awami League—India—as it finds itself in a very precarious situation. Since Hasina is in India, the extradition issue is a huge possibility, and the decision of the Indian government will hold a lot of geopolitical implications on how India will relate with a new government in Dhaka.

A Nation at a Crossroads

Finally, the trial of Sheikh Hasina is not one single person’s trial; it is a test of the blood of Bangladesh. They have a chance to end this cycle of vengeance and establish a new political culture based on the state of law and acting reconciliation. The other option is the future, and it is characterized by the same political warfare which has hindered the country over the past few decades. A great nation has to perceive to change its past instead of subscribing to it all over again. This period of instability and weakness can then be viewed as an opportunity to make a new decision, speaking about a different way of going that is going to look beyond the politics of individuality and go over to the politics of sustained peace. The world is and more like the people of Bangladesh are waiting to see what direction the country is going to take.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this article are exclusively those of the author and do not reflect the official stance, policies, or perspectives of the Platform.