Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Bangladesh Awami League, has demanded the resignation of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus while outrightly rejecting the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) verdict against their leader.

The Awami League has announced massive nationwide protests and demonstrations across all districts until November 30, signalling renewed political unrest in the country. Labeling Yunus an “usurper” and a “killer-fascist,” the party declared that it will not accept the ICT ruling.

On November 17, the ICT convicted Hasina of crimes against humanity, alleging that she orchestrated a violent state-backed crackdown on student protesters in 2024. The tribunal sentenced her to death in a trial held in absentia—marking the first time a former Bangladeshi leader has been convicted of such charges.

In its official statement, the Awami League not only rejected the verdict but dismissed the upcoming national elections as a “farce.” The statement read:
“As part of that conspiracy, they staged this mockery of a trial in their own manufactured court. The Awami League is not only rejecting the illegal ICT verdict, but is also working at the grassroots—holding discussions with political leaders, stakeholders, and citizens from all walks of life—to break the web of plots woven by this occupying force. It is now clear to everyone that the Yunus clique is engaged in anti-state conspiracies. A staged election excluding the pro-liberation forces, the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina, will not be allowed in Bangladesh. It will be resisted at any cost.”

Earlier, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal alleged in a new book that Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman acted as a CIA agent and orchestrated the coup against Hasina. Calling him the “main plotter,” Kamal accused the United States of seeking to destabilize Bangladesh, claiming that Washington does not want “too many powerful heads of state in South Asia,” referring to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Sheikh Hasina. He also echoed Hasina’s longstanding claim that the US wants control of St. Martin’s Island.

Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Yunus recently reiterated that national elections will be held in February 2026. In his latest address, he stated that Bangladesh will hold a national referendum on implementing the “July Charter” for state reform—drafted following last year’s deadly student-led uprising that toppled Hasina.

The July Charter proposes major political restructuring, including constitutional recognition of the 2024 uprising, state protection and recognition for those killed or injured during the movement, the creation of a bicameral legislature, and limits on the tenure of the prime minister.