The International Crimes Tribunal for Bangladesh has begun investigating former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and nine others on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity during a massive student movement against her government between July 15 and August 5.
A complaint was filed with the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal’s investigation agency on Wednesday against Hasina, Awami League general secretary and former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and several other prominent party figures. Complainant’s lawyer Gazi MH Tamim confirmed on Thursday that the tribunal began the investigation on Wednesday night.
Hasina, 76, arrived in India on August 5 after resigning from her post amid unprecedented anti-government student-led protests. The petition also names the Hasina-led Awami League and its affiliated organisations. The petition was filed by Bulbul Kabir, father of Arif Ahmed Siam, a class 9 student who was murdered during the anti-discrimination student movement.
“The (ICT-BD) investigating agency has begun reviewing the allegations. Allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity have been filed as a case. The application accuses Hasina and others of carrying out violent crackdowns on student protesters, resulting in mass casualties and human rights violations,” the lawyer said.
This evidence was presented in the tribunal
He said the progress of the investigation would be reported within seven days to the tribunal, which was originally set up to prosecute Bengali-speaking staunch collaborators of Pakistani troops during the 1971 Liberation War. As per the tribunal law, apart from the plaintiff and other witnesses, reports published in various media from July 16 to August 6 were presented as necessary documents.
In addition, on Wednesday, a case of enforced disappearance was filed against Hasina and several others, including former ministers of her cabinet, for allegedly kidnapping a lawyer in 2015. On Tuesday, a murder case was filed against Hasina and six others for the death of a grocery shop owner during violent clashes last month that led to the fall of her government.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court on Thursday asked the police to submit by September 15 an investigation report into the case filed against Hasina and six others in connection with the killing of grocery shop owner Abu Sayeed in police firing in the capital’s Mohammadpur area during a quota protest on July 19. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Zaki Al Farabi fixed the date for further action after the case was presented in his court.
It is noteworthy that this development coincided with the now abolished National Mourning Day holiday following the assassination of Hasina’s father and Bangladesh’s founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. The interim government of Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus cancelled the holiday after consultations with political parties other than the Awami League, while most of its leaders are on the run or in jail after the collapse of Hasina’s regime on August 5. According to media reports, some parties were in favour of keeping the Mourning Day holiday, while others were opposing it.
Unlike previous years, no sombre wreath-laying ceremony was held at Bangabandhu’s private residence at 32 Dhanmondi, later converted into a memorial museum, which was burned to ashes by an angry mob after Hasina resigned and fled to India. “Nobody approves of this. But someone’s (Hasina regime’s) exaggeration led to an overreaction,” Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, a leader and spokesperson of former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), told PTI, referring to the attack on the museum.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)