‘Conspiracy to Avenge 1971’: Ex-Bangladesh Minister Calls Trial of Sheikh Hasina, Himself ‘Fake’ | Exclusive

Last Updated:November 17, 2025, 14:27 IST

Former Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal also disputed the nature of the evidence, arguing that digital material cannot be trusted in the absence of physical proof

Former Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

Former Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who along with former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Crimes Tribunal, has dismissed the case as a political conspiracy aimed at rewriting history and targeting the former government.

In a conversation with CNN-News18, Kamal said the accusations stem from vengeance tied to the events of Bangladesh’s Liberation War. “Everything is fake, it is a conspiracy hatched to take revenge for what happened in 1971," Kamal said.

Kamal, who served as home minister in Hasina’s cabinet, claimed the proceedings were neither transparent nor credible. Levelling serious allegations against the judiciary, Kamal questioned the manner in which the judgment was prepared. “I have learnt that the chief justice didn’t attend the court for the past 15 days and prepared the judgment on his own. It is pure drama."

He suggested that the process lacked judicial oversight and was designed to produce a predetermined outcome against both him and Sheikh Hasina.

The former home minister also disputed the nature of the evidence being used in the case, arguing that digital material cannot be trusted in the absence of physical proof. “In the digital arena, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to alter anything. There is no physical evidence. How can someone be convicted on the basis of digital evidence?"

Kamal asserted that the charges rely on material that could easily be manipulated, rendering the entire case unreliable.

He repeatedly characterised the case against him and Sheikh Hasina as part of a long-orchestrated political strategy. “This is all pre-planned," he said, framing the charges as the culmination of a targeted effort to dismantle the leadership of the previous government.

Rejecting the tribunal’s accusations of crimes against humanity, Kamal questioned the legal basis and motivation behind the charges. “How can it be a crime against humanity? No law is being followed."

He said the ongoing proceedings distort legal norms and are being used as a weapon against the former ruling establishment.

The International Crimes Tribunal, which was hearing serious charges against Hasina, on Monday awarded her the death sentence for crimes against humanity during the uprising in the neighbouring country last year. Ahead of the verdict, Hasina had said the allegations against her were false and that she did not care about such verdicts.

Hasina fled to New Delhi last year after a nationwide protest against her government turned violent. After her escape, an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took charge and accused her of crimes against humanity. The court hearing the case had ordered Hasina to join the trial in Dhaka, but she defied the summons.

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

News world ‘Conspiracy to Avenge 1971’: Ex-Bangladesh Minister Calls Trial of Sheikh Hasina, Himself ‘Fake’ | Exclusive

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