Dhaka: Bangladesh ‘s interim government on Sunday said it will seek Interpol’s assistance in repatriating deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India, and other “fugitives”, to face trial for alleged crimes against humanity.
Hasina and her party leaders face accusations of ordering brutal suppression of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, resulting in numerous casualties during the July-August protests. The movement later intensified into a large-scale uprising, forcing Hasina to secretly flee to India on August 5.
According to the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, at least 753 people were killed and thousands injured during the protests, which it termed crimes against humanity and genocide. Over 60 complaints of crimes against humanity and genocide have been filed against Hasina and her party leaders with the ICT and the prosecution team till mid-October.
‘Interpol Will Issue Red Notice’
“A Red Notice will be issued through Interpol very soon. No matter where in the world these fugitive fascists are hiding, they will be brought back and held accountable in court,” Law Affairs adviser Asif Nazrul told reporters here after inspecting the status of renovation at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which is housed in the Old High Court building on the Supreme Court premises.
Officials said that a Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant but a global request for law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally detain a person pending extradition, surrender, or other legal actions. Interpol member countries enforce Red Notices in accordance with their own national laws.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) was established by the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in March 2010 to prosecute those responsible for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. The tribunal later created a second bench, ICT-2, which resulted in the execution of at least six leaders from the Jamaat-e-Islami party and Hasina’s political rival, Khaleda Zia’s BNP party, based on the tribunal’s rulings. The ICT had been inactive since mid-June following the retirement of its chairman.
On October 12, the interim government reconstituted the tribunal, and five days later, on October 17, the tribunal issued arrest warrants for Hasina and 45 others, including her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and several former members of her cabinet.
The interim government had previously stated that Hasina and other senior Awami League leaders would be tried in the special tribunal. However, in an interview with the UK-based Financial Times, Chief Adviser Yunus indicated that his government would not immediately seek Hasina’s extradition from India, a stance aimed at avoiding diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
(With inputs from PTI)
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