The International Crimes Tribunal has started a probe against former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and nine others, on charges of crimes against humanity. Hasina and others are being probed for instances of murder, genocide and torture, that took place between July 15 to August 5 in Bangladesh amid the quota reform movement in government jobs and the subsequent movement to topple the government, according to a report by Dhaka Tribune.
As per the report, the complainant's lawyer Gazi MH Tamim confirmed the investigation agency started the investigation on Wednesday night.
On Wednesday, one Bulbul Kabir, the father of Class IX student Arif Ahmed Siam, who was killed during the anti-discrimination student movement, filed a petition in the International Criminal Tribunal requesting a probe against ousted premier Hasina, Awami League general secretary and former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and several other prominent figures within the Awami League over allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity.
The petition also lists high-ranking officials and former government ministers as defendants, including former State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and IT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, former State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdullah Al Mamun, former Chief of the Detective Branch (DB) Harunor Rashid, former Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Habibur Rahman, and former Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Harun-Ar-Rashid.
Hasina's Awami League itself, along with its affiliated organizations including Jubo League, and Chhatra League, among others, are also
reportedly named in the petition.
Key Allegations Against Hasina And Others
In his petition, Kabir has accused Hasina and others of orchestrating a violent crackdown on student protestors, resulting in widespread casualties and human rights violations. As per a Dhaka Tribune report, the petition said that the ousted Bangladesh PM allegedly made provocative statements during a press conference which resulted in violence against student protesters.
The petition claimed that Hasina with her other ministers and leaders instructed law enforcement and party activists to "completely or partially eliminate" the students involved in the protests. It also mentioned a series of coordinated attacks across the country, allegedly carried out by members of the Awami League, its youth wing Jubo League, student wing Chhatra League, and law enforcement agencies.
These attacks reportedly involved firearms and indigenous weapons, leading to the deaths of at least 439 students between July 15 and August 5, the report said.
In addition to the fatalities, the petition alleges that approximately 450,000 protesting students were wrongfully implicated in 286 criminal cases nationwide, leading to the arrest and severe mistreatment of around 12,000 individuals.
Requesting appropriate legal action against the accused, the petition claimed these actions constituted genocide and crimes against humanity as defined under international law.
Hasina's Ouster
Over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government on August 5, taking the death toll to 560 since the anti-quota protests first started in mid-July.