Bangladesh is set to announce the verdict in the high-profile crimes against humanity trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on November 17, as confirmed by Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam on Thursday. The trial, conducted in absentia since June 1, has centered on allegations that Hasina ordered mass killings during a failed attempt to suppress a student-led uprising in 2024, which ultimately led to her removal from power. The United Nations estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed during the crackdown between July and August 2024. Hasina, now 78 and residing in India, has refused to return to Bangladesh to face the charges, dismissing the trial as a ‘jurisprudential joke.’ Prosecutors have filed five charges against her, including failure to prevent murder, which they argue constitute crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law. They are seeking the death penalty if she is found guilty. The trial has also implicated former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who remains a fugitive, and former Police Chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who is in custody and has pleaded guilty. The verdict comes amid heightened political tensions as Bangladesh prepares for elections in February. Hasina’s outlawed Awami League called for a nationwide ‘lockdown’ on Thursday, and security forces have been heavily deployed around the court, with armored vehicles stationed at checkpoints. Recent weeks have seen a surge in violence, including crude bomb attacks targeting government-linked buildings, buses, and Christian sites. On November 11, a man was burned to death when his parked bus was set on fire. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry has summoned India’s envoy to Dhaka, urging New Delhi to prevent Hasina from engaging with journalists, citing concerns over bilateral relations.