Bangladesh Tribunal Issues New Arrest Warrant for Ousted PM Sheikh Hasina

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The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh has issued an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ten others, including her former Defence Adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique and ex-IGP Benazir Ahmed. This decision follows petitions filed by the prosecution regarding alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during Hasina's tenure.

The tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumdar, has mandated the authorities to apprehend Hasina and the other accused by February 12. This is not the first instance of such warrants; in the previous year, the tribunal had already issued warrants against Hasina and 45 others relating to crimes against humanity amidst violent student-led protests that resulted in over 500 deaths.

Following her ouster in August 2024, Hasina has taken refuge in New Delhi. The interim government in Bangladesh, now led by Nobel laureate Muhammed Yunus, has expressed intentions to extradite her, a move that has further strained relations between India and Bangladesh.

Hasina has been living in various safehouses in India, frequently changing locations for her safety. Amidst her political exile, she has been vocal about the political climate in Bangladesh, communicating through her political party, the Awami League. The Ministry of External Affairs in India has acknowledged receipt of the extradition request but has not commented further.

Yunus has stated that the interim government will hold accountable those responsible for the violence during the protests that led to Hasina’s ouster and emphasized that investigations would extend to her government's alleged human rights violations.

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