A court in Bangladesh has formally begun the trial of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 33 others over the killing of truck driver Mohammad Hossain during the July 2024 uprising in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area.

Judge Robiul Alam of the Dhaka Fourth Special Judge Court on Monday rejected the accused’s petitions seeking discharge and ordered charges to be framed. The court scheduled November 25 for the recording of witness testimony.

The proceedings mark the first murder trial to begin in a Dhaka court against Hasina since she was removed from power in 2024. Last year, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death over crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising.

According to the case records, truck driver Hossain was shot and killed in Mohammadpur on July 19, 2024, during the uprising. Two other people, identified as Sajjad and Shahin, were injured in the incident.

Following Hossain’s death, his mother, Mosammat Rina Begum, filed a murder case on August 31, 2024, naming Hasina and 15 others as accused.

After completing the investigation, Mohammadpur Police Station Sub-Inspector Mohammad Akramuzzaman submitted a charge sheet to the court on November 23 last year, naming Hasina and 33 others.

Twenty of the accused, including Hasina, are absconding. Arrest warrants were issued against them on January 26. Four accused, including former state minister Junaid Ahmed Palak and former lawmaker Sadek Khan, are in custody, while 10 others are out on bail.

Other prominent defendants include banned Awami League General Secretary and former Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader; former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal; former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud; former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak; Bangladesh Chhatra League President Saddam Hossain and General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan; Asif Ahmed; Tareq Uzzaman Rajib; Sheikh Bazlur Rahman; and Nur Mohammad Sentu.