Bangladesh court issues arrest warrant for exiled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina

Dhaka, Bangladesh Reuters —

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently in India, citing her alleged involvement in mass killings during violent protests that erupted earlier this year.

The protests, which began as a student-led movement against public sector job quotas, escalated into some of the deadliest unrest since the country’s independence in 1971, resulting in over 700 deaths and numerous injuries.

The violence ultimately forced Hasina to flee to India on August 5 and an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge.

The tribunal’s proceedings, presided over by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumdar, saw prosecutors request arrest warrants for 50 individuals, including Hasina.

“We appealed to the court that if the accused, who are extremely influential, are not arrested, it will be impossible to conduct the investigation,” chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told reporters.

“In the interest of a thorough investigation, we applied for an arrest warrant. The court granted our petition and ordered the arrest of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It further directed that she be arrested and brought before this court by November 18.”

Students chant slogans near a vandalised mural of Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during a protest demanding accountability and trial against Hasina, near Dhaka University in the capital on August 12, 2024.

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To date, more than 60 complaints have been filed against Hasina and other leaders of her Awami League party, alleging enforced disappearances, murder,