Bangladesh’s former leader, Sheikh Hasina, is facing a new arrest warrant in connection with the killing of protesters during her time in power. The war crimes tribunal that Sheikh Hasina herself established has now charged her with the deaths of over a thousand demonstrators. On Sunday, a special court in Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant for Sheikh Hasina, along with several of her top officials, accusing them of incitement, facilitation, and conspiracy in the mass killings that occurred in the final months of her authoritarian rule.
The International Crimes Tribunal, which was set up by Sheikh Hasina in 2010 to investigate war crimes from the past, has now turned its focus on her and her associates. The chief prosecutor of the tribunal, Mohammad Tajul Islam, has accused Sheikh Hasina of orchestrating systematic violence against peaceful protesters last July before she fled the country and sought refuge in India.
Although Sheikh Hasina has faced arrest warrants in other cases, these are the most serious charges brought against her to date. The trial comes at a time of political turmoil in Bangladesh, with the interim government accused of delaying elections for Sheikh Hasina’s replacement. Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who is leading the interim government, is facing pressure from opposition parties to hold elections by December, while he argues that more time is needed to reform election procedures for a fairer vote.
The court proceedings, which were televised live for the first time in the country’s history, saw all of the accused absent. The trial of Sheikh Hasina and her associates in the killing of protesters is expected to be a long and contentious process, as Bangladesh grapples with its past and present political challenges. Stay updated on the latest news in Bangladesh by signing up for Your Places: Global Update.
