Security has been intensified at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) ahead of the announcement of the verdict date in the case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two others, accused in connection with crimes against humanity during the July mass uprising.
Since Thursday (October 13) morning, the army, RAB, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and police have been deployed at all entrances of the Supreme Court, including the ICT gates. Lawyers and journalists entering the tribunal premises are being thoroughly checked.
A three-member bench of ICT-1, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumder, is set to announce the verdict date in the case.
In response, the activities of the banned Awami League are observing a “Dhaka Lockdown” programme.
Members of the army, RAB, BGB, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), and Armed Police Battalion (APBn) have been put on high alert around the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, High Court, and the tribunal area near Mazhar. Armored vehicles of the BGB and DMP have also been deployed, and army patrols are present in surrounding areas, according to law enforcement officials.
To prevent any untoward incidents amid the verdict announcement and the Awami League’s programme, 17,000 DMP personnel have been deployed across key locations in Dhaka city. Additional forces from the army, BGB, and other police units are stationed at various points.
For security reasons, law enforcement began inspecting public transport and checking suspicious individuals at Dhaka’s entry points from Wednesday. These measures continue today, with raids also conducted last night at various residential hotels and messes across the city.
Compared to normal days, public transport and private vehicles are relatively fewer on the roads, while joint forces have been patrolling at various street intersections across the city.