Arrest warrant issued by Bangladesh tribunal against ex-PM Sheikh Hasina
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Dhaka: An arrest warrant for Sheikh Hasina, the ousted former leader who fled to India in August after being overthrown by a student-led revolt, was issued by a Bangladeshi court on Thursday.
Mohammad Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal, told reporters on Thursday, "The court has... ordered the arrest of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and to produce her in court on November 18".
Human rights violations were rampant throughout Hasina's 15-year administration, including her political opponents' extrajudicial executions and mass imprisonment, AFP reported.
"Sheikh Hasina was at the helm of those who committed massacres, killings and crimes against humanity in July to August", Islam said, calling it a "remarkable day".
Since leaving Bangladesh, Hasina, 77, has not been sighted in public. Her last known location is a military airbase close to New Delhi, the capital of India. Bangladesh is enraged by her presence in India. Her diplomatic passport has been revoked by Dhaka, and the two nations have a bilateral extradition treaty that would allow her to be sent back to face criminal trials.
However, if the crime is of a "political character," extradition may be refused, according to a treaty clause.
A highly contentious ICT was established by Hasina's government in 2010 to look into crimes committed during the 1971 war of Pakistani independence.
Its procedural flaws were criticised by the UN and human rights organisations, and it was widely seen to be a tool used by Hasina to eliminate her rivals. The court is investigating several cases in which Hasina is said to have planned the "mass murder" of protestors.
