A Bangladeshi court has issued an arrest warrant for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August after mass protests erupted in her country.
The BBC writes about it.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said the court had ordered Sheikh Hasinaʼs extradition on November 18.
The International Criminal Tribunal is looking for Sheikh Hasina for her alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during protests in Bangladesh, when several hundred people died. The tribunal, established by the interim government of Bangladesh, began work on Thursday, October 17. Critics say it lacks judges with experience in international law.
The court also issued arrest warrants for 45 officials, including former government ministers who also fled Bangladesh.
Protests in Bangladesh
Protests in Bangladesh began in July. They were initially protested by students protesting the quota system for government jobs, most of which were reserved for relatives of veterans of Bangladeshʼs 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. The protesters said the quota system was discriminatory and demanded that hiring be based on merit. This is an important social issue for Bangladesh, as more than 30 million people in a country of 170 million people are out of work or education. Demonstrators demanded that Prime Minister Hasina Wazed resign.
On July 21, the Bangladeshi court canceled most of the quotas for public positions, which caused mass protests and riots. However, the organizers of the protests said that the decision of the Supreme Court does not mean the end of the protests, although they welcome it.
On August 5, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and took off in a military helicopter from the Bangabhaban residence, accompanied by her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, to West Bengal (India). This escape ended her 15-year rule (from 2009 to 2024). Before that, she ruled the country for another five years in 1996-2001. The interim administration was headed by Nobel Laureate Muhammed Yunus.
The countryʼs new interim government revoked Sheikh Hasinaʼs diplomatic passport, and the two countries have a bilateral extradition agreement that would allow her to be returned to a criminal court. However, extradition may be refused if the crime is of a "political nature."
In September, the first case was filed against Sheikh Hasina. An investigation into the killing of a man by police during mass protests last month.
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