Chief Prosecutor Tazul Islam told the International Crimes Tribunal that, in the face of a mass uprising, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on August 5 and fled to India. However, prior to her resignation, she attempted to suppress the student-led movement with force. “Even as the situation spiraled out of control, she was unwilling to step down,” Tazul stated. “It was Sheikh Rehana who, on August 5, pleaded at Ganabhaban, even holding her sister’s feet, urging her to resign.”

Tazul further claimed that on August 4, from 10:30 AM for nearly an hour, Hasina pressured top officials of state security forces to take action, refusing to accept that the situation was beyond control. “Eventually, after persuasion from her family members, she agreed to step down,” he added. The prosecutor also mentioned that key figures including Obaidul Quader, Salman F Rahman, Anisul Huq, and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal had advised her against resignation.