The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh has started investigating former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 9 others on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. These allegations were made during the massive agitation of students against his government between 15 July and 5 August.
A complaint was filed with Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal investigating agency on Wednesday against Hasina, Awami League general secretary and former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and several other prominent party figures. Complainant’s lawyer Ghazi MH Tamim confirmed on Thursday that the tribunal had started investigation on Wednesday night.
Hasina, 76, arrived in India on August 5 after resigning from her post amid unprecedented anti-government student-led protests. Hasina-led Awami League and its affiliated organizations are also named in the petition. The petition was filed by Bulbul Kabir, father of Class 9 student Arif Ahmed Siam, who was murdered during the anti-discrimination student protest.
“The (ICT-BD) investigating agency has started reviewing the charges. Charges of genocide and crimes against humanity have been registered as a single case. The application charges Hasina and others with violence against student protesters,” the lawyer said. “It has been accused of carrying out actions that resulted in mass casualties and human rights violations.”
This evidence was presented in the tribunal
He said the progress of the investigation would be reported within seven days to the tribunal, which was originally constituted to try Bengali-speaking staunch collaborators of Pakistani soldiers during the 1971 liberation war. As per the tribunal law, apart from the plaintiff and other witnesses, reports published in various media from July 16 to August 6 were presented as necessary documents.
Also, on Wednesday, a case of enforced disappearance was registered against Hasina and several others, including former ministers of her cabinet, for the kidnapping of a lawyer in 2015. On Tuesday, a murder case was registered against Hasina and six others in connection with the death of a grocery shop owner during violent clashes last month that led to the fall of her government.
Court ordered to submit investigation report of the case
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court on Thursday asked the police to submit by September 15 the investigation report into the case registered against Hasina and six others in connection with the police firing at a grocery store in Mohammadpur area of the capital during the quota protests on July 19. Shop owner Abu Saeed had died. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Zaki Al Farabi fixed the date for further proceedings after the case was presented in his court.
Mourning day was not celebrated this time
It is noteworthy that this development coincided with the now abolished national mourning day after the assassination of Hasina’s father and Bangladesh founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. The interim government of Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus canceled the leave after discussions with political parties other than the Awami League, while most of its leaders are on the run or in jail following the fall of Hasina’s regime on August 5. . According to media reports, some parties were in favor of keeping the mourning day as a holiday, while others were opposing it.
Unlike previous years, no mournful wreath-laying ceremony was held at Bangabandhu’s private residence at 32 Dhanmondi, later converted into a memorial museum, which was burnt to ashes by an angry mob after Hasina resigned and fled to India . Referring to the attack on the museum, Amir Khasru Mahmood Chowdhury, leader and spokesperson of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), told PTI, “No one approves of it. But because of someone’s (Hasina regime) exaggeration, it is extremely There was a reaction.”