Sheikh Hasina’s supporters launch nationwide lockdown as tribunal verdict looms

Classes and transport services were seriously disrupted across Bangladesh on 13 November as former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s supporters enforced a nationwide “lockdown” in protest against her ongoing war crimes trial.

The protest was organised by the now-outlawed Awami League, Hasina’s former ruling party, which has urged nationwide resistance ahead of an expected verdict on 17 November by a special tribunal in Dhaka.

The tribunal is hearing charges against Hasina related to last year’s deadly protests that led to her government’s downfall.

Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam confirmed at a press conference on 13 November that the court is on track to deliver a decision on Monday.

Hasina, who led the country for 15 years until she was ousted on 5 August 2024, has been living in exile in India since then. She has not made any public appearances or online statements since her departure.

The charges she faces involve alleged crimes against humanity, including the violent suppression of a student-led uprising in mid-2024 that resulted in hundreds of deaths.

In Dhaka, schools suspended in-person teaching and moved to online platforms. Major cities followed suit, with universities postponing examinations and classes. Public transport was also largely suspended or disrupted as the government deployed additional security forces in anticipation of unrest.

The capital experienced sporadic vandalism earlier in the week, but on 13 November, its normally congested roads were largely empty. In Gopalganj District—Hasina’s birthplace and a historical stronghold for the Awami League—a firebomb was hurled at a local government office. No casualties were reported.

Elsewhere in the country, violence targeted key institutions. On 12 November, an office of Grameen Bank was set ablaze in eastern Bangladesh. Grameen Bank, a microfinance institution with symbolic political relevance, was founded by current interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who took office following Hasina’s removal.

In a nationally broadcast address on 13 November, Yunus reiterated his intent to hold Hasina accountable, stating, “Justice must be done for what our people endured.” He confirmed that a referendum on the country’s new constitutional framework would coincide with the upcoming general elections in February 2026.

While no exact date for the referendum has been announced, the measure will seek public approval for the “July National Charter”—a framework signed by major political parties last month proposing a bicameral legislature and broader political reforms.

Yunus took office three days after Hasina’s fall, leading a technocratic interim administration. His government has prioritised national reconciliation and democratic restructuring but has faced criticism from Hasina’s supporters who claim the charges are politically motivated.

Despite the government’s firm stance, opposition to the lockdown and civil disobedience has been voiced by centrist political factions. They argue that mass disruption risks undermining Bangladesh’s fragile recovery from last year’s political crisis.

International observers have called for restraint from all parties. Human Rights Watch, in a statement on 13 November, urged Bangladeshi authorities to uphold civil liberties while ensuring accountability for past abuses.