A court in Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant on Thursday against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from power in August following a mass student protest. The court order, reported by AFP, demands Hasina’s appearance on November 18 to face charges related to crimes against humanity.
Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after her removal from office, has not been seen publicly since. Her last known location was at a military airbase near New Delhi, according to reports. The charges against the exiled leader stem from her 15-year rule, during which widespread human rights abuses, including the detention and extrajudicial killings of political opponents, were reported.
Mohammad Tajul Islam, the chief prosecutor of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal, stated, “The court has ordered the arrest of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and for her to appear in court on November 18.” He added that Hasina was a key figure behind the atrocities committed during the July-August period when protests erupted across the nation.
The arrest warrant was issued by the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal, currently led by interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. The tribunal responded to two petitions filed by the prosecution, which cited crimes against humanity under Hasina’s administration.
The court also issued an arrest warrant for Obaidul Quader, the former general secretary of Hasina’s Awami League party, along with 44 other unnamed individuals. These arrests come amid a larger crackdown on Hasina’s allies, many of whom have been detained and accused of complicity in the police crackdown that resulted in over 700 deaths during the protests that led to her downfall.
Since her government’s collapse, many senior members of the Awami League have been arrested, and appointees from her regime have been removed from key institutions, including the judiciary and the central bank.
This development marks a significant turning point in Bangladesh’s political landscape as the country grapples with the aftermath of Sheikh Hasina’s long and controversial tenure.
Sources By Agencies
