At least nine more complaints were filed on Tuesday against Bangladesh’s ousted former prime minister. sheikh hasina and his associates, taking the total number of cases against them to 31, including 26 counts of murder, four of crimes against humanity and genocide, and one of kidnapping.
Supreme Court lawyer Gazi MH Tamim filed a complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal for Bangladesh on behalf of Hefazat-e-Islam joint general secretary (education and law) Mufti Harun Izhar Chowdhury, the Daily Star newspaper reported.
The complaint accuses Hasina and 23 others of committing crimes against humanity and genocide. Hefazat-e-Islam Rally On May 5, 2013 at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel.
“We have registered the complaint and the investigation has started today,” Ataur Rahman, deputy director (administration) of the investigating agency, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
This is the fourth complaint filed against the former Prime Minister at the International Crimes Tribunal. He resigned and fled to India He was removed from office on 5 August following massive protests against his rule.
Of these four cases, three are related to the recent violence centered on the quota reform movement.
Besides, eight more cases were registered against the Awami League president across the country on Tuesday, accusing her of murders during the recent protests, the paper reported.
With these cases, Hasina is now facing 31 cases, including 26 murder charges, four charges of crimes against humanity and genocide, and one kidnapping case.
According to the newspaper, Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wajed Joy, daughter Saima Wajed Putul and sister Sheikh Rehana have been made co-accused in a murder case for the first time.
The key accused in the Hefazat-e-Islam case include Awami League general secretary and former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former minister Rashid Khan Menon, former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former prime minister adviser Salman F Rahman, former prime minister’s security adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui, former inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Haque, ABNews24.com editor Subhas Singh Roy and former army chief Aziz Ahmed.
Apart from him, some unknown Ministers, State Ministers and MPs, unknown persons from law enforcement agencies and the then policy makers of some electronic and print media were also made accused in the case.
According to the complaint, the accused, through instruction and planning, committed crimes against humanity and genocide by killing Hefazat activists in Dhaka and surrounding areas and various districts including Chittagong, Narayanganj and Cumilla between May 5 and 6, 2013, the paper said.
The Hasina-led government established the International Crimes Tribunal in March 2010 to prosecute those who committed war crimes in 1971. A second ICT was later created. Following the verdicts of the two tribunals, five Jamaat-e-Islami and one Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders were hanged.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday urged India to extradite Hasina so she could be prosecuted, accusing her of plotting to sabotage the country’s revolution.
A case was filed against Hasina, her son Sajeeb, daughter Saima and sister Rehana and 17 others in connection with the murder of a fruit vendor in the capital’s Jatrabari on August 5.
The victim’s father, Sultan Mia, filed the case in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Shakil Ahmed.
Another case was filed against Hasina and 49 others in connection with the death of Mohammad Omar Faruk, a student of Kabi Najrul Government College in Laxmi Bazar of Sutrapur on July 19.
Hasina and 24 others were sued for the death of 18-year-old garment worker Sohel Rana in the city’s Adabor area on August 5.
Hasina and 75 Awami League men were charged for the murder of a barber shop employee in Savar on 5 August.
In Narayanganj, a case was filed against Hasina, seven former ministers and MPs and 179 others for the murder of a bus helper in Kanchpur area of Sonargaon upazila.
In Rangpur, Hasina, her sister and 49 others were charged for the murder of a vegetable trader during the reservation reform movement on July 19.
A murder case has been registered against Hasina and 216 others in connection with the death of an auto driver in front of the police station on August 5 in Joypurhat.
Hasina and Obaidul Quader have been charged for the murder of a rickshaw driver in Bogura on August 4.
Meanwhile, the interim government said it had not closed any media outlets.
According to the press release of the Press Wing of the Chief Advisor, the Government strongly believes in free press and freedom of expression.
More than 230 people were killed in incidents of violence across the country following the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government, taking the death toll to over 600 since massive protests launched by students in mid-July.
The Hasina-led government was removed and an interim government was formed with 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus appointed as its chief advisor.