File photo of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina | Photo Credit: Reuters
of Bangladesh Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and their allies are currently embroiled in a complex web of legal challenges, the total of which amounts to Cases against him These cases involve a range of serious charges, including murder, crimes against humanity, and others.
After his fall Awami League-led government will be formed in Bangladesh on August 5. Due to widespread student and public protests, the first case against Ms. Hasina was filed in Dhaka on August 13. The hundredth case was filed at the International Crimes Tribunal on August 29.
The latest case involves Ms. Hasina, several former ministers, members of parliament and several journalists. The complaints include genocide and crimes against humanity. Eight of these cases have been referred to the International Crimes Tribunal, while at least 92 cases have been filed at various police stations across the country, taking the total number of cases to over 100. One case involves allegations of abduction and enforced disappearance.
Recent cases
On Thursday (August 29), Ms Hasina was charged with genocide and crimes against humanity at the International Crimes Tribunal. The charges relate to the killing of Nasib Hasan Riyan, a 17-year-old student of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation College in Mirpur, Dhaka, who was shot dead during an anti-discrimination student protest on August 5. The case, filed by Supreme Court lawyer Gazi MH Tamim on behalf of Riyan’s father Golam Razzak, names 53 persons, including former ministers, 29 journalists and two professors, as accused.
The same day, Fatima Begum, the widow of labour leader Hasan Mahmud, who was murdered in Goran, Khilgaon on July 31, filed a case against Ms Hasina and 34 others before Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubul Haque.
Besides, Kismat Ara, the mother of Nadimul Islam Alim, 25, who died in Sutrapur, Dhaka on July 19, filed a case against Ms Hasina and 88 others before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Tarikul Islam.
In a separate incident related to the death of six people during a clash between Border Guard Bangladesh members and protesters in Sreepur, Gazipur, two murder cases were lodged at the Sreepur Model Police Station by relatives of the deceased. The accused include Ms. Hasina, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and a total of 95 persons, besides 1,100 unidentified suspects.
On 22 October 2022, a case was lodged at the Fulbaria Police Station by Khulna District BNP Member Secretary SM Monirul Hasan Bappi regarding the murder of BNP activist Sheikh Sajjaduzzaman Jiko.
Ms Hasina resigned and fled to India on 5 August amid unprecedented student-led protests over a controversial job quota system. An interim government led by 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has since taken power.
Violence following Ms Hasina’s visit to India has left more than 230 people dead in Bangladesh, taking the toll to over 600 since mass protests began in mid-July. Following the fall of the Awami League government, several prominent ministers, MPs and politicians have been arrested and many have gone into hiding.