Staff Reporter:
A Dhaka court yesterday set February 9 for holding a further hearing on charge framing in a sedi-tion case filed against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 285 others.
Judge Md Abdus Salam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 passed the order, allowing separate pleas from the defence in this connection.
The case was lodged over allegations of participating in anti-state activities and conspiring to over-throw the interim government by joining a Zoom meeting of “Joy Bangla Brigade”.
Of the 286 accused, 259, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, are still at large and are tried in absentia. On October 14, 2025, the court ordered publication of notices in newspapers ask-ing the fugitives, including Sheikh Hasina, to appear before the court.
Apart from Sheikh Hasina, the prominent accused include former MP Sabina Akhter Tuhin, US unit Awami League Vice-President Dr Rabbi Alam, Joy Bangla Brigade Member Kabirul Islam, Adv. Kamrul Islam, Elahi Newaz Masum, Zakir Hossain Jiku, Prof. Taheruzzaman, AKM Akhta-ruzzaman, Ajida Parveen Pakhi, Adv. AFM Didarul Islam, Maksudur Rahman, former MP Syeda Rubina Akter, former MP Pankaj Nath, Laila Banu, Bangladesh Chhatra League President Saddam Hossain, Ritu Akter, Nurunnabi Nibir, Sabina Begum, and Shariful Islam Ramzan.
According to the case statement, on December 19, 2024, a virtual meeting titled “Joy Bangla Bri-gade” was held, where participants allegedly vowed to wage a civil war to reinstall fugitive Sheikh Hasina as the country’s prime minister.
A total of 577 individuals at home and abroad joined the Zoom meeting, expressing their commit-ment to follow her directives.
The CID investigation found that the online meeting, hosted by US Awami League leader Dr Rab-bi Alam, contained discussions that aimed to resist the lawful government and incited rebellion against the state.
Upon receiving the Home Ministry’s approval, CID ASP Md Enamul Haque filed the sedition case against Sheikh Hasina and 72 others with the court on March 27, 2025.
Later, under Section-196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), he was assigned to investigate the case.
After the investigation, the CID officer submitted a charge sheet on August 14 against 286 indi-viduals, including Sheikh Hasina. The court accepted the charge sheet and issued arrest warrants against all the accused.
