The International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant on Monday for the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 11 others, including former military generals and a former police chief, for their alleged role in 'enforced disappearances.'
Following last August's anti-government protests, the Awami League government fell, and former PM Sheikh Hasina fled to India. The tribunal has so far filed three cases against her. An ICT official said, 'The tribunal's chairman, Justice Mohammad Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, issued an arrest warrant after hearing the prosecution's plea.'
Instructions to Arrest 12 People
The Inspector General of Police has been ordered to arrest Sheikh Hasina and 11 others and present them before the tribunal on February 12 as complaints of enforced disappearances involving several hundred people have been filed.
The names of Sheikh Hasina’s then-defense adviser, Major General (Retired) Tariq Ahmed Siddiqui, and former IGP Benjir Ahmed are also mentioned in this case. Siddiqui is currently detained, while Ahmed is reported to be on the run.
Progress Report Required if Arrests Not Made
ICT Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam has not disclosed the names of most accused. He mentioned that the next hearing of this case is scheduled for February 12. The tribunal has ordered that if the investigation is complete, the report should be presented on that day.
However, he stated that if the investigation report isn't ready by then, law enforcement agencies must submit a progress report on the arrests. Islam informed the tribunal that the ousted government had institutionalized a culture of enforced disappearances under state patronage.
60 Cases Filed in ICT
Following the fall of the Awami League government, at least 60 cases of enforced disappearances, murders, genocides, and crimes against humanity have been filed in ICT, with accusations against Sheikh Hasina, leaders of her party and its allies, and senior officials of various law enforcement agencies.
An interim government-formed commission in Bangladesh submitted a report last month, stating that it documented 1,676 complaints of enforced disappearances, out of which 758 have been investigated, and 27 percent of the victims never returned.
