DHAKA, Bangladesh: A Bangladeshi court has issued an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August following her ousting from power amid a student-led revolution.
Mohammad Tajul Islam, the chief prosecutor of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), announced the warrant, requiring Hasina to appear in court by November 18.
During her 15-year tenure, Hasina has faced numerous accusations of human rights violations, including mass detentions and extrajudicial killings of political opponents.
The prosecutor alleged that she played a key role in “massacres, killings, and crimes against humanity” committed from July to August of this year.
Since her departure, Hasina has remained out of the public eye, reportedly located at a military airbase near New Delhi. Her presence in India has strained diplomatic relations, prompting the Bangladeshi government to revoke her diplomatic passport.
Although the two nations have an extradition treaty that could allow her return for trial, it includes clauses that could prevent extradition if the charges are deemed politically motivated.
Hasina’s administration established the tribunal in 2010 and it has been criticized for perceived biases, with allegations that it is being used to suppress political opposition. Several cases against Hasina regarding her alleged involvement in violent crackdowns on protesters are currently under investigation.
