'Indictment hearing against Hasina to begin from July 1'

DHAKA: Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Tuesday scheduled July 1 for the indictment hearing against ex-PM Sheikh Hasina and two others in cases of " crimes against humanity ".

Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun are accused of using security forces to abduct, murder and torture activists during the mass uprising last year that led to the fall of her Awami League govt. She fled to India in Aug 2024, and the Muhammad Yunus-led interim govt has sought her extradition.

A three-member ICT bench, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, fixed the date after Hasina and Khan failed to appear in court, despite a public notice summoning them to surrender by June 24. The tribunal has said state-appointed defence counsel would represent Hasina and Khan.