A court in Bangladesh on Wednesday fixed February 9 as the next date for a hearing on the framing of charges in a sedition case lodged against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 285 others, a move that has once again heightened political tensions in the country.
The case centres on allegations that Hasina, along with hundreds of members and supporters of the Awami League, participated in a virtual meeting in December 2024 organised under the banner of the so-called “Joy Bangla Brigade.” Prosecutors claim the meeting was used to plan efforts to destabilise and ultimately overthrow the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.
The order was passed by Judge Md Abdus Salam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9, who allowed separate petitions filed by the defence while setting the fresh date for further proceedings. State-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported that the court decided to move ahead with the matter despite the absence of most of the accused.
Out of the 286 people named in the case, as many as 259, including Hasina herself, remain absconding and are being tried in absentia. In October last year, the court directed authorities to publish notices in newspapers, calling upon the fugitives to appear before it and respond to the charges.
According to the prosecution’s account, the virtual meeting titled “Joy Bangla Brigade” was held on December 19, 2024. During the session, participants allegedly discussed launching a civil war and pledged to act under Hasina’s instructions in an attempt to reinstall her as prime minister. Investigators have claimed that at least 577 individuals, based both in Bangladesh and overseas, joined the Zoom call and expressed support for the plan.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has stated that the meeting was hosted by US-based Awami League leader Dr Rabbi Alam and involved discussions aimed at defying the authority of the interim government and inciting rebellion against the state. On the basis of these findings, a sedition case was filed on March 27, 2025, initially naming Hasina and 72 others.
Following the completion of the investigation, the CID submitted a detailed charge sheet on August 14, expanding the list of accused to 286 people. The court subsequently accepted the charge sheet and issued arrest warrants against all those named, paving the way for the current charge-framing proceedings.
The sedition case is part of a wider legal and political fallout following Hasina’s removal from power. She was ousted after weeks of violent, student-led protests in July and August 2024 and fled to India on August 5. In November, a special tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia in a separate case related to alleged crimes against humanity during the crackdown on those protests.
Three days after her departure, Muhammad Yunus assumed charge as head of the interim government, which later disbanded the Awami League through an executive order, fundamentally reshaping Bangladesh’s political landscape and setting the stage for the ongoing legal battles.
