Over 100 journalists worldwide call Hasina verdict ‘biased’, ‘non-transparent’

Hundreds of journalists around the world have condemned the verdict against former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, warning that the “biased and non-transparent” judicial process of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) threatens the rule of law in the country.

The criticism follows the ICT’s decision on Monday to sentence Hasina to death after finding her guilty of “crimes against humanity” linked to the July 2024 demonstrations. The tribunal also handed the death penalty to former Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and sentenced former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun — who turned state witness — to five years in prison.

In a joint statement signed by 102 journalists and circulated by the Awami League on social media, the signatories expressed “profound concern” over the verdict and the broader conduct of the ICT. They said recent developments have raised “grave questions” about judicial independence, citing inconsistent procedures, political influence, and a lack of transparency.

“When the judiciary is unable to function independently, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law come under severe threat,” the statement warned. The journalists called for the verdict to be annulled and for the entire judicial process to restart in a “transparent and impartial” manner. They stressed that due process and neutrality were “gravely absent” in the proceedings.

Separately, more than 1,001 teachers from Bangladesh’s public universities also rejected the tribunal’s ruling, calling the case “fabricated,” “false,” and “farcical.” In a strongly worded statement, they accused the ICT of operating like a “kangaroo court” driven by “dictatorial” and “anti-justice” motives, including reliance on false witness testimony.

The teachers said the “crores of people” who draw inspiration from Bangabandhu, the liberation war, and the country’s independence have rejected what they described as a “hateful, conspiratorial, predetermined verdict” against Hasina, whom they credited as the “architect of a modern and prosperous Bangladesh.”

The progressive teachers’ community declared solidarity with the Bangladeshi public and reiterated their rejection of the tribunal’s ruling “with hatred”.

With IANS inputs