Newsman: Doughty Street Chambers has recently filed urgent appeals and communications with the United Nations regarding several international human rights cases, including those involving former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The appeal alleges serious violations of fair trial rights and due process issues related to her in absentia prosecution before Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). In August 2025, the firm also filed an urgent appeal with the UN regarding the banning of Hasina’s Awami League party, citing violations of fundamental human rights.
Steven Powles KC and Tatyana Eatwell of Doughty Street Chambers, London, acting on behalf of Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, have submitted an Urgent Appeal to the United Nations (“UN”) Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers and the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, setting out serious concerns about the lack of fair trial rights and due process issues arising from her in absentia prosecution before Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (“ICT”).
The Urgent Appeal highlights how, notwithstanding alleged abuses by both members of Sheikh Hasina’s government, and serious reprisals committed against her supporters thereafter, the ICT has chosen only to prosecute members of Sheikh Hasina’s former government. It is said that the interim government has decided that those who made the “uprising successful will not face prosecution … for their acts between July 15 and August 8 [2024]”.
The Urgent Appeal sets out how the trials before the ICT are being carried in an environment charged with political vengeance, under an unelected interim government which itself has no democratic mandate, and raises multiple serious concerns regarding violations of Sheikh Hasina’s right to a fair trial, including that:
Sheikh Hasina has not been tried by an ‘independent and impartial tribunal’, as required by Article 14(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (“ICCPR”). The political association of the ICT’s judges which tried Sheikh Hasina’s case with political parties opposed to her Awami League raise serious questions of both actual and perceived bias. Moreover, the Chief Prosecutor also suffers from the appearance of bias, himself having appeared at political rallies calling for the ban of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League.
Sheikh Hasina has been tried in absentia for very serious crimes. The trial has proceeded in her absence notwithstanding an extant request for her extradition from India. She has received no formal notification of the charges against her. Moreover, lawyers who have previously acted on behalf of or who are associated with the Awami League have been attacked and are unable to carry out their professional duties without intimidation. As a result, Sheikh Hasina is being represented by a state appointed lawyer with whom she has had no communication and given no instructions.
Against the backdrop of such serious fair trial and due process violations, the imposition of any death sentence following such a manifestly unfair trial would effectively amount to summary execution and a clear violation to the right to life guaranteed by Article 6 of the ICCPR.
Steven Powles KC and Tatyana Eatwell of Doughty Street Chambers act on behalf of Sheikh Hasina.
Sheikh Hasina had been the Prime Minister of Bangladesh since 2009. She and her party, the Awami League, had been re-elected to government in the most recent elections, held in January 2024. In July 2024, demonstrations that began as protests against a quota system for public sector jobs, developed into a mass movement demanding Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. On 5 August 2024, owing to the instability caused by demonstrations that had erupted into politically charged violence, Sheikh Hasina left the country, seeking refuge in India. On 8 August 2024, Muhmmad Yunus formed an interim government.
In July 2025, Sheikh Hasina and two other senior officials were indicted by Bangladesh’s ICT for alleged crimes against humanity said to have arisen from the then government’s response to protests in Bangladesh in July and August 2024. Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August 2024, is being tried in absentia. A verdict is due soon with Sheikh Hasina facing an almost certain sentence of death.
