Cyber Strike Targets Tribunal’s Facebook Page During Sheikh Hasina Crimes Hearing

A cyberattack was launched on the official Facebook page of the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) during the live broadcast of the prosecution’s argument in the crimes against humanity case against Sheikh Hasina and two others.

Chief Prosecutor of the tribunal, Mohammad Tazul Islam, disclosed the incident during a briefing with journalists at the tribunal premises on Sunday, October 12.

He said, “While the prosecution’s argument in the crimes against humanity case against Sheikh Hasina and two others was being streamed live on social media, the official Facebook page of the Chief Prosecutor’s Office came under a cyberattack.”

“The attackers temporarily disabled the page, though we were able to recover it promptly,” he added.

According to Tazul Islam, the perpetrators and their collaborators attempted to prevent the world from learning about the atrocities being presented before the tribunal. “They do not want the world to know how transparent this trial is or how strong the evidence is. That is why they targeted our page—but we managed to restore it,” he said.

Sending a message to the offenders, the Chief Prosecutor asserted, “Our message is clear — just as no criminal can escape justice, no attempt to shield a criminal will succeed in Bangladesh, InshaAllah. We are not seeking vengeance against anyone; we are working to ensure justice.”

Earlier in the day, during the first day of argument proceedings before the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tazul Islam told the court, “Meetings were held every evening at the home of the Home Minister, where decisions were made on where lethal weapons would be used during the July–August uprising. Several people outside the official protocol also attended these meetings. The discussions even included the use of helicopters. A ‘Gang of Four’—comprising Obaidul Quader, Anisul Haque, Asaduzzaman Kamal, and Salman F Rahman—took these decisions.”

He further stated, “Salman F Rahman told State Minister Palak, ‘You’ve already shut down the internet; now stop television broadcasts too—we are going for a crackdown.’ Had Sheikh Hasina’s government not fallen on August 5, it is unimaginable how many bodies we would have seen on August 6. Salman F Rahman repeatedly incited violence. Through the recorded conversations between Hasina and Sheikh Taposh, we have demonstrated before the tribunal the use of lethal weapons. Hasina tried until the last moment to impose military rule and cling to power.”