Bangladesh court wants to detain ousted Premier
Date
10/23/2024 8:08:09 AM
(MENAFN) A court in Bangladesh has issued an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister sheikh Hasina, alleging her involvement in crimes against humanity linked to a violent crackdown on student-led protests earlier this year. The developments come after Hasina's Awami League party was ousted from power in August following weeks of unrest, which reportedly resulted in over 700 fatalities, according to the interim government that took charge after her resignation.
The chief prosecutor of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) announced on Thursday that the court has ordered Hasina, now 77 years old, along with 45 other individuals, to appear before the court by November 18. Following her resignation on August 5, Hasina fled to India, where she currently remains. Since her departure, the interim government in Dhaka has opened numerous criminal cases against her and her associates, charging them with serious offenses, including murder, torture, abduction, and genocide.
The new interim administration, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has also revoked Hasina's diplomatic passport, further complicating her legal situation. Notably, India and Bangladesh have an extradition treaty that could potentially facilitate Hasina's return to face trial. However, the treaty stipulates that extradition may be denied on "political" grounds, which could be a point of contention in any future proceedings.
When approached for comment regarding the arrest warrant, a spokesperson for India's foreign ministry refrained from discussing the matter, citing that Hasina had entered India "at short notice for safety reasons." Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, in an event held in August, mentioned that Hasina was experiencing a state of "shock" and that the Indian government was allowing her time to recover before discussing her future plans.
Since the upheaval that led to Hasina's resignation, Bangladesh has yet to hold elections, and no date has been announced for when such elections might occur. The political landscape in the country remains tense as the interim government grapples with the fallout from the unrest and the ongoing legal challenges facing the former prime minister.
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