Sheikh Hasina faces 663 lawsuits, including 453 on murder charges: TIB
A total of 663 lawsuits have been filed nationwide against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in connection with incidents during the July mass uprising. Of the legal cases, 453 have been filed on murder charges.
This was found from a research report published by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB). The report, titled “One and a Half Years after the Fall of Authoritarianism: Expectations and Outcomes”, was unveiled at an event held at TIB’s office in Dhanmondi, Dhaka on Monday.
It outlines the progress, challenges and limitations of legal proceedings linked to the July uprising.
According to the report, up to 19 November 2025, a total of 1,785 cases were filed across the country against perpetrators, instigators and those who allegedly ordered killings of students and civilians during the uprising. Sheikh Hasina has been named as an accused in 663 of those cases.
Of the total, 837 are murder cases, with Hasina listed as an accused in 453 of them, the report added.
Sheikh Hasina has already been sentenced to death in one case relating to crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising. She is currently in India, and an arrest warrant has been issued against her by the International Crimes Tribunal.
TIB reported that charge sheets have so far been submitted in 106 cases, including 31 murder cases. A total of 128 individuals, including former ministers and members of parliament from the Awami League government, have been arrested in these cases.
Comparing the number of cases filed with the number of charge sheets submitted, TIB said the figures clearly indicate the slow pace of investigations.
The report also highlighted the large number of cases filed against the police in connection with the July events. A total of 761 cases have been lodged against the police, naming 1,168 police officers as accused. Of them, only 61 have been arrested.
Presenting data on proceedings before the International Crimes Tribunal, the report stated that 450 complaints have so far been submitted, resulting in 45 formal cases. These cases name 209 accused, including Sheikh Hasina, while 84 individuals have been arrested. At present, 12 cases are under trial, involving 105 accused.
TIB further noted allegations that many accused individuals have secretly left the country, with claims that members of the military, law enforcement agencies and some local political leaders have provided direct or indirect assistance in facilitating their departure.
The organisation expressed concern over indiscriminate case-filing and mass naming of accused persons following the uprising.
According to TIB’s estimates, nearly 150,000 people nationwide have been named as accused, of whom 21,854 have been arrested.
The report also stated that 4,017 cases have been filed against leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Awami League, whose activities have been banned, for alleged involvement in various criminal offences during the July uprising. These cases name 224,813 accused, with 75,400 arrests made so far; however, 55 per cent have been released on bail.
TIB also documented allegations of filing lawsuits and arrests in exchange for money, retaliatory lawsuits, political harassment, and extortion through threats of inclusion or exclusion from cases. In many instances, the report said, law enforcement agencies accepted cases under pressure without conducting preliminary investigations.
Concerns were also raised regarding the competence, experience and political affiliations of judges and prosecutors appointed to the International Crimes Tribunal.
While acknowledging that the judicial process has begun and that some progress has been made, TIB warned that weak case foundations, procedural complications in investigation reports, and the absence of a clear reconstruction of events pose serious challenges to the delivery of justice.
Although welcoming the initiative to broadcast verdict announcements live, the organisation cautioned that failure to adhere strictly to due legal process could invite criticism of both trials and verdicts. Weaknesses in proceedings, it warned, could allow actual perpetrators to evade accountability.
The report further stated that effective accountability mechanisms outside departmental procedures for police misconduct remain absent, reflecting shortcomings in both government intent and capacity.
It also noted the continued prevalence of long-standing practices, including unjustified case filings, detention without trial, prolonged incarceration despite bail eligibility, misuse of state influence, and naming journalists and professionals as accused in murder cases.
TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman was present at the event, alongside senior research fellow Shahzada M Akram, Md Zulkarnaine, research fellow Farhana Rahman, research associate Mostafa Kamal, Mohaiemenul Islam, among others.