Hearing for Sheikh Hasina, 286 Others Set for Sept. 30
Deposed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Picture: Collected
A partial hearing on charge framing has been held against deposed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 286 others in a sedition case. The court set Sept. 30 for the remaining hearing.
Dhaka’s Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md. Moin Uddin Chowdhury set the date on Tuesday.
According to the case documents, 24 accused who are currently in jail were produced before the court in the case. Of them, 20 were men and four were women. They were then placed in the dock, and the hearing on charge framing began in their presence.
During the hearing, lawyers representing several of the accused sought time. The court granted the petition and set Sept. 30 for the remaining hearing.
Earlier, on March 27 last year, CID Assistant Superintendent of Police Md. Enamul Haque filed the case in court against Sheikh Hasina and 73 others on charges of sedition. After completing the investigation, he submitted the charge sheet on July 30 of the same year, naming Sheikh Hasina and 286 others as accused.
On Aug. 14, the court accepted the charge sheet and issued arrest warrants against the accused. On Sept. 11, a travel ban was imposed on the accused. On Oct. 14, the court ordered notices to be published in newspapers directing 256 absconding accused to appear before the court.
As the case was ready for trial, it was transferred from Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court on Nov. 11. A partial hearing on charge framing was held at Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-9 on Jan. 21. Later, the case was transferred to the Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka for speedy disposal from the stage of charge framing.
According to the case statement, on Dec. 19, 2024, Sheikh Hasina and several hundred party leaders and activists participated in a Zoom meeting of the ‘Joy Bangla Brigade’ led by Dr. Rabbi Alam, vice president of the United States Awami League. During the meeting, Sheikh Hasina made anti-state remarks to her party leaders and activists and instructed them to overthrow interim government chief Dr. Muhammad Yunus. The remarks later spread across the country through social media.
