A special court in Bangladesh has issued arrest warrants for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 45 others, including her close aides, on charges of crimes against humanity. The warrants were issued by the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the country's interim leader, in response to petitions submitted by the prosecution. The head of the tribunal, Golam Mortuza Majumdar, issued the orders in the presence of other judges.
Prosecutors allege that Hasina, her close aides, and security agencies were responsible for killing protesters and others during a student-led uprising in July and August. The unrest led to violent protests over government job quotas, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Hasina fled to India on August 5 amidst the turmoil.
It remains uncertain whether India will respond to any extradition requests from Bangladesh under a mutual treaty. The tribunal's chief prosecutor, Muhammad Tajul Islam, mentioned the possibility of seeking Interpol's assistance to bring Hasina back to Bangladesh for trial.
The interim government led by Yunus has pledged to hold Hasina and others in her administration accountable for their alleged involvement in the uprising. The government has also extended an invitation to the United Nations to assist in investigating the killings. Hasina herself has called for an investigation into the deaths, expressing doubts about the official narrative and suggesting that other parties may have been involved beyond the security agencies.
