On July 22, 2026, reports surfaced that top Bangladeshi business leaders had expressed lifelong support for Sheikh Hasina during the 2024 student-led quota reform protests, which were violently suppressed. The report describes how, amid nationwide unrest and government crackdowns, business associations publicly urged Hasina to act more harshly against demonstrators, labeling them as terrorists and anti-state elements. A meeting organized by Hasina’s advisers gathered leading industrialists who pledged allegiance to her leadership.

Following this support, the government’s repression reportedly intensified, leading to mass casualties and Hasina’s eventual ouster on August 5, 2024. Many of the business figures who had backed her remained active or sought alignment with subsequent administrations. On January 13, 2026, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement filed a complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office against 24 business leaders, accusing them of aiding in mass killings during the protests. The investigation is ongoing, with the tribunal expected to file formal charges once the inquiry concludes.