In a fiery statement issued on November 17, 2025, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) rejected the International Crimes Tribunal’s verdict against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, branding it as “fabricated, premeditated, and politically motivated.” According to the statement, the verdict marks a “dark and shameful chapter” in Bangladesh’s judicial and political history.
The BCL, student wing of the Awami League, blamed what it termed as an “illegal, unconstitutional, and mafia-style occupation regime” headed by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, alleging that the government has been using “kangaroo courts” to eliminate political opponents and undermine democratic institutions.
“This verdict is not merely an attack on one individual,” the statement reads. “It is a direct assault on Bangladesh’s sovereignty, independence, and the democratic aspirations of its people.’’
Accusing the government of mass human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and systemic repression of opposition voices, the BCL drew parallels to historical injustices, invoking memories of British colonial trials of revolutionaries and military tribunals against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Declaring the beginning of what they call a “Grand Student-People’s Revolt,” the statement threatened to escalate the agitation until the “fallen regime collapses.”
The BCL announced a two-phase protest program:
November 18: Nationwide dawn-to-dusk shutdown
November 19–21: Countrywide mass mobilization, protest marches, and resistance activities
Concluding with the slogans “Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu,” the BCL demanded the immediate resignation of the Yunus-led government and a return to elected leadership.
This escalation of rhetoric signals deepening political polarization in Bangladesh as opposition-aligned groups reject the legitimacy of the current administration and prepare for mass street mobilization.
