Bangladesh Tribunal Targets Sheikh Hasina and Associates for Crimes Against Humanity

A special tribunal in Bangladesh has issued arrest warrants for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 29 others, charging them with crimes against humanity during her tenure. The allegations involve enforced disappearances, a serious human rights violation.

The International Crimes Tribunal, initially established to prosecute collaborators from the 1971 Liberation War, has expanded its purview. It now targets a diverse group of accused, including former military officers and officials from intelligence and elite anti-crime units. These individuals are alleged to have been involved in abductions, secret detentions, and torture.

Sheikh Hasina, who remains in India after being ousted in 2022, is a central figure in these cases, along with her defense adviser Tarique Siddique. As the legal proceedings advance, the tribunal has designated October 22 as the date to produce the accused in court.

(With inputs from agencies.)