Dhaka
Bangladesh’s interim government announced Sunday it would request Interpol’s assistance to repatriate former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India, along with other “fugitives,” to face charges related to alleged crimes against humanity. Hasina is accused of orchestrating a violent crackdown on the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, which escalated into a large-scale uprising, prompting her flight to India on August 5.
The interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, claims the protests led to at least 753 deaths and thousands of injuries. It has labeled these incidents “genocide” and “crimes against humanity,” with over 60 complaints filed against Hasina and her associates by mid-October.
“We will issue a Red Notice through Interpol soon. These fugitives will be located and brought to justice, no matter where they are hiding,” stated Law Affairs adviser Asif Nazrul. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant but a request for international law enforcement to locate and provisionally detain individuals pending legal actions.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), initially established in 2010 under Hasina’s leadership to prosecute crimes from the 1971 Liberation War, was reactivated by the interim government in October. On October 17, the tribunal issued arrest warrants for Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and former cabinet members, aiming to hold them accountable through this special tribunal.
While Yunus recently expressed reluctance to pursue immediate extradition to avoid diplomatic issues with India, the tribunal is set to proceed with trials for Hasina and other Awami League leaders.
