A symbolic execution of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was staged on Tuesday (5 July) at 10:36 AM in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, organized by two groups—Jagroto July and July Oikya.

Organizers claimed the act was carried out to hold Hasina accountable in the “People’s Court” for her alleged role in the BDR mutiny, the Shapla Chattar massacre, and the July 24 killings. The groups called her the “main orchestrator” of these events.

Present at the symbolic event were former military officer Lt. Col. Hasinur Rahman, Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman bin Hadi, former student leader A.B. Zubayer, journalist Israfill Farazi, and Jagroto July’s senior vice-president Shamim Hamid, among others.

The symbolic verdict was read out by Advocate Tanzina Ferdous, legal secretary of Jagroto July. The “accused’s” pressure and heartbeat were checked by Raihan Madrazi. Alif Zawfi acted as the executioner, Mustafa Hossain recited the Islamic declaration of faith, and the entire staging was directed by Aziz Saifullah. The event was presided over by poet Munshi Borhan Mahmud, founder and spokesperson of Jagroto July.

Speakers at the event emphasized that while the execution was symbolic, their demand for real legal consequences should not remain symbolic. They called for the trial and sentencing of Sheikh Hasina and others accused of mass killings to be completed within a year, before the second anniversary of the July uprising.

DHAKA, Aug — At least 121 people were killed and 5,189 injured in 471 incidents of political violence across Bangladesh between August last year and June this year, according to a Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report released Monday.

The study found that the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was linked to 92% of the incidents, while the ruling Awami League was connected to 22%, the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami to 5%, and the Jatiya Nagorik Party to 1%.

The report, titled “One Year Since the Fall of an Authoritarian Government: Expectations and Achievements,” was presented in Dhaka by researchers Shahjada Akram and Zulkarnaine. It said political activists were involved in extortion, control of transport hubs, and taking over businesses.

Zulkarnaine noted a lack of respect for the law and internal discipline among political parties, preventing action against offenders. He also said the interim government had, in some cases, sheltered individuals for partisan gain and displayed tendencies to unite around personal interests.

TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said many of the interim administration’s reform initiatives were ad-hoc and lacked a clear implementation roadmap, while political pressure forced it to backtrack on some decisions. He added that a newly formed political party, the interim government, and some politicians were themselves involved in corruption and conflicts of interest.

“While we have ended authoritarian rule, we have yet to take sufficient steps to dismantle the authoritarian system,” Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said.

Police have recovered the body of former Bangladesh Army Chief Lieutenant General (Retd.) Harun-ur-Rashid from a room at the Chattogram Club. The body was found around 11:00 a.m. on Monday in room 308 of the club, located near Kazir Dewri intersection in Chattogram city.

Mohammad Alamgir Hossain, Deputy Commissioner (South) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, said Harun-ur-Rashid had checked into the club around 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. When he did not respond in the morning, club authorities alerted police, who broke open the door and found him dead. The body was sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital morgue.

Police initially suspect a heart attack as the cause of death, but the exact reason will be confirmed after a post-mortem examination.

Commissioned into the Infantry Corps on 6 September 1970, Harun-ur-Rashid’s first posting after the Liberation War was with the 4th East Bengal Regiment in Cumilla. He later served as Force Commander in a UN peacekeeping mission in Georgia. Known for his academic orientation, he taught at the Army Staff College and the School of Infantry and Tactics.

Appointed Chief of Army Staff on 24 December 2000, he led the army during the abduction of foreign surveyors in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. After retirement, he became Vice-Chairman of the Sector Commanders Forum and later joined Destiny Group as its President. He was arrested in a financial fraud case involving Destiny but was released on bail due to ill health and age.

Harun-ur-Rashid was also the founding president of the Army Golf Club and, in 2015, publicly described Pakistan as a threat to Bangladesh’s national security.

His death has drawn condolences from the Bangladesh Army, the Sector Commanders Forum, the freedom fighter community, and others. Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin said, “We are deeply saddened.”