Bangladesh: Large blow to Sheikh Hasina, Worldwide Crimes Tribunal points second arrest warrant

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Worldwide Legal Tribunal (ICT) on Monday issued arrest warrants in opposition to deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 11 others, together with former army generals and an ex-police chief, for his or her alleged position in incidents of enforced disappearances. This was the second arrest warrant by the ICT in opposition to Hasina, who fled to India after her Awami League regime’s toppling following unprecedented anti-government protests in August final 12 months. The tribunal has to this point recorded three instances in opposition to her.

“Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, chairman of the tribunal, issued the arrest warrant after listening to a prosecution plea,” an ICT official mentioned. The Inspector Basic of Police was ordered to arrest the twelve folks, together with Hasina, and produce them earlier than the tribunal on February 12 within the case filed over complaints of enforced disappearances of a number of hundred folks.

ICT Chief Prosecutor didn’t disclose the names of a lot of the accused

The deposed premier’s then-defence adviser Main Basic (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and former IGP Benazir Ahmed are amongst these named within the case. Whereas Siddique is at the moment below custody, Ahmed is believed to be on the run.

ICT Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam didn’t disclose the names of a lot of the accused “within the curiosity of investigations and their arrest”. “The subsequent listening to for this case can be scheduled for February 12. The tribunal has instructed that the investigation report be submitted on that day if accomplished,” Islam later advised reporters. He, nonetheless, mentioned if the investigation report couldn’t be submitted by then, the regulation enforcement businesses must present a progress report on the arrests.

Islam advised the tribunal that the ousted regime had established a tradition of enforced disappearances below state sponsorship. The chief prosecutor alleged that these concerned in finishing up these disappearances had been rewarded. He added that businesses just like the elite anti-crime Fast Motion Battalion (RAB), the police’s Detective Department (DB), the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, and the Directorate Basic of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) had been most regularly used for the aim.

“Over the previous 15 years, a tradition of worry was established in Bangladesh by way of enforced disappearances and crossfires. Hundreds of individuals had been kidnapped by varied forces, both in plainclothes or in uniform. Most of them by no means returned,” Islam advised journalists. Final month, Dhaka formally sought Hasina’s extradition from India. Whereas New Delhi acknowledged the receipt of the letter, it shunned commenting on it.

First arrest warrant in opposition to the ex-premier 

The ICT issued the primary arrest warrant in opposition to the ex-premier on October 17 on fees of genocide and crimes in opposition to humanity dedicated throughout the July-August protests and rebellion. After the autumn of the Awami League authorities, a minimum of 60 instances or complaints of enforced disappearances, killings, genocide, and crimes in opposition to humanity had been lodged on the ICT, accusing Hasina, leaders of her occasion and its allies, and senior officers of various regulation enforcement businesses.

A fee shaped by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s interim authorities final month submitted its provisional report alleging the involvement of Hasina, her officers and neighbouring India in incidents of enforced disappearance. The fee mentioned it recorded 1,676 complaints of enforced disappearances and to this point examined 758, of which 27 per cent of the victims by no means returned.

(With inputs from company)

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