Passports of ex-PM Sheikh Hasina, 96 others revoked by Bangladesh
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Bangladesh's interim administration revoked former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's passport and that of 96 others on Tuesday for their suspected involvement in the crackdown on protesters during the July and August agitation against the Awami League government, according to The Hindu.
“The Passports Department cancelled passports of 22 people involved in enforced disappearances while passports of 75 people, including Sheikh Hasina, were revoked due to their involvement in the July killings,” said Abul Kalam Azad Majumdar, the deputy press secretary of the chief adviser.
Majumdar did not immediately provide the identities of the other 96 people whose passports had been revoked. This comes a day after the country's International Criminal Tribunal issued arrest warrants for Hasina and 11 others, including ex-military generals and an ex-police head, over their supposed role in enforced disappearances during the Awami League's 16-year reign, Scroll.in reported.
This is the tribunal's second warrant issued against the deposed prime minister. The first was issued on October 17 against Hasina and 45 others for allegedly committing crimes against humanity during the July 15–August 5 protests.
Hasina fled to India on August 5 following massive student-led protests against her government, which resulted in 560 deaths. More than 60 complaints about enforced disappearances, murders, and mass killings have been submitted to the tribunal against Hasina and Awami League leaders, among others.
On August 8, Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus took over as chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government.
The passports were also cancelled weeks after the country's interim administration said on December 23 that it had submitted a note verbale, or an unsigned diplomatic communique to India, formally seeking Hasina's extradition.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit asked banks and financial institutions in the country on Tuesday to transmit information and transaction records about Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and sister Rehana, among others, according to The Hindu.