Bangladesh prosecutors say they were bombarded with threatening phone calls from Indian numbers on the night before the International Crimes Tribunal delivered its landmark verdict against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, describing the intimidation as an attempt to disrupt the judicial process and unsettle the prosecution team.
Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said the harassment began late the previous night and targeted nearly every senior member of the prosecution. “Throughout the night, all respected prosecutors received calls from abroad, mostly from Indian numbers, involving various abuses and vulgar language,” he said in his remarks following the sentencing.
Islam said the callers appeared to be acting out of fear as the tribunal prepared to issue its decision in the Crimes Against Humanity case linked to the July 2024 uprising. “The prosecution is not taking these threats seriously, viewing this behavior as merely the criminals revealing their character when they realize their punishment is imminent,” he said. “These threats will not deter the people of Bangladesh from their desire for justice.”
The verdict, delivered the next day, sentenced Hasina to death on one charge of Crimes Against Humanity and to imprisonment until death on another. Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal also received the death penalty, while former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, who became a state witness, was sentenced to five years in prison.
Islam said the threats would not influence the prosecution’s work or delay implementation of the verdict. “The completion of this verdict process marks the conclusion of a long legal struggle,” he said, adding that the state will take “the necessary measures” to enforce the sentences and uphold accountability.
