A special court in Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant for Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister, following accusations of her involvement in the brutal crackdown that led to the deaths of more than a thousand protesters in the last months of her authoritarian reign. This charge comes from the International Crimes Tribunal, which Ms. Hasina herself established in 2010 to investigate historical war crimes.
The tribunal’s chief prosecutor, Mohammad Tajul Islam, has accused Hasina of inciting violence against peaceful demonstrators before she fled to India last July, where she currently resides. This escalation marks the most severe allegations against her to date, showcasing the scale of violence perpetrated during her governance alongside several close aides being charged as co-conspirators.
The political tension surrounding the trial is heightened as the interim government, led by 84-year-old Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, faces criticism from opposition groups for procrastination in scheduling elections to select a successor to Hasina. With calls for an immediate election by December, Yunus has proposed extending the timeline, advocating for necessary reforms to ensure a fair electoral process.
For the first time in Bangladesh's history, the proceedings of the court were broadcast live, with none of the accused present to respond to the grave accusations laid against them. As legal action unfolds, the ripple effects from this case might reshape the political landscape of Bangladesh significantly.
