Bangladesh braces for disruptions as former ruling party calls for lockdown to protest Hasina trial

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Classes and proscription successful Bangladesh were earnestly disrupted Thursday arsenic ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her erstwhile ruling Awami League enactment called for a nationwide “lockdown” successful protestation against her trial implicit last year’s protests that near hundreds dead.

A peculiar tribunal successful Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, was owed to denote a day for the verdict against Hasina, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity involving a crackdown connected the student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule. She has been successful exile successful India since.

Schools successful Dhaka and large cities crossed Bangladesh switched to online classes and examinations portion nationalist proscription was severely disrupted Thursday arsenic the interim authorities heightened information crossed the country.

The improvement has sparked hostility successful the South Asian federation with the now-banned Awami League party urging its supporters and others to protestation portion the authorities and absorption to Hasina vowed to halt them.

Explosions of crude bombs and the torching of vehicles person been reported implicit the past 3 days successful Dhaka and elsewhere, indicating that governmental chaos volition proceed successful the country, which has a past of governmental violence.

On Wednesday evening, arson was reported connected a bid and a autobus successful Dhaka, and crude bombs went disconnected earlier successful the time connected the Dhaka University campus.

Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, volition code the federation connected Thursday afternoon, his property bureau said. Yunus took implicit arsenic the caput of an interim authorities 3 days aft Hasina’s autumn connected Aug. 5 past year, and vowed to punish her.

On Thursday morning, soldiers on with different information agencies were deployed to defender the premises of the peculiar tribunal, which is owed to denote the time of the verdict successful a lawsuit that besides involves erstwhile Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and erstwhile constabulary main Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. Al-Mamun is an “approver” successful the case, which means helium pleaded blameworthy and became a authorities witnesser against Hasina.

Al-Mamun was brought to the tribunal amid choky information Thursday portion Khan is besides believed to beryllium successful India. Both Hasina and Khan are being tried successful absentia.

Hasina was ousted connected Aug. 5 past twelvemonth aft weeks of unit that near hundreds dead. The interim authorities pledged that parliamentary elections would beryllium held successful February, but Hasina’s Awami League has launched a run against the election, chiefly connected societal media, if they are not allowed to participate.

The enactment has called the tribunal, which is handling the charges against Hasina, a “kangaroo court.” Hasina has not appointed a lawyer and denounced the assignment of a lawyer by the authorities to correspond her.

Last month, the tribunal’s main prosecutor, Tajul Islam, sought the decease punishment for Hasina. In his arguments, Islam called her the “mastermind and main architect” down the crimes against humanity committed during the uprising.

The United Nations successful a February study said up to 1,400 people whitethorn person been killed successful the violence, portion the country’s wellness advisor nether the interim authorities said much than 800 radical were killed and astir 14,000 were injured.

Hasina disputed the figures and demanded an autarkic investigation.

In different development, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs connected Wednesday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner successful Dhaka Pawan Badhe to formally convey its concerns implicit India allowing “fugitive” Hasina to interact with mainstream Indian media.

Many Indian outlets published interviews with Hasina successful caller weeks that seemingly irked Bangladesh’s existent government.

Hasina successful her interviews accused Yunus of backing Islamists and violating quality and governmental rights, particularly of her supporters. The Yunus-led medication has banned each activities of Hasina's party. In her interviews, Hasina vowed to combat back, with her lad successful an interrogation with the Associated Press saying that only an inclusive election could stabilize the country.