Dhaka, Aug. 13 -- In an explosive revelation before Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal, prosecutors have accused former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of ordering the execution of anti-government protesters during last year's mass uprising - a claim backed, they say, by a verbatim transcript of her phone conversation with the former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University.

Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, delivering his opening statement on Monday in the Chankharpul massacre case, told the tribunal: "This is direct evidence of premeditated crimes against humanity."

The case concerns the August 5, 2024 killings in Dhaka's Chankharpul area, where six people were shot dead. Prosecutors allege the killings were the result of an inte...