A special Bangladeshi tribunal on Thursday indicted ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina over the death of protestors, whose uprising led to the fall of her regime on August 5 last year.
The tribunal accepted charges of crimes against humanity filed against her in connection with a mass protest in which hundreds of students were killed.
A three-member panel, headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, indicted Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun on five charges. Hasina and Khan are being tried in absentia, reported news agency AFP.
The indictment comes on the heels of a BBC report that revealed that Hasina reportedly gave direct orders for a deadly crackdown on protesters in 2024.
The audio, which is key evidence for the prosecution and was leaked online, is said to contain Hasina’s voice giving instructions to security forces.
In a recording dated July 18, 2024, the voice alleged to be Hasina is heard saying security forces should "use lethal weapons" against protesters and that "wherever they find (them), they will shoot".
The British government-controlled media outlet reported that audio forensics experts did not find signs of editing or manipulation in the recording. They also concluded it was "highly unlikely to have been synthetically generated".
Hasina's party denies BBC's claim
Hasina's Awami League party, however, denied that its leaders are responsible for the force used against protesters.
"The Awami League categorically denies and rejects claims that some of its senior leaders, including the prime minister herself, were personally responsible for or directed the use of lethal force against crowds," an Awami League spokesperson was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"The decisions made by senior government officials were proportionate in nature, made in good faith and intended to minimise the loss of life."
The party was quoted as saying by the news agency AFP instead that "breakdowns in discipline among some members of the security forces on the ground in response to instances of violence led to (a) regrettable loss of life".
Yunus government seeks extradition
Reacting to a BBC analysis of audio recordings, the Bangladesh interim government on Wednesday said India can no longer "protect" Hasina.
"We urge India to act with conscience and moral clarity. For too long India has refused to comply with Bangladesh's lawful request for Hasina's extradition. India can no longer protect her," chief adviser's press secretary Shafiqul Alam said, adding no regional friendship, strategic calculus and political legacy can excuse or obscure "deliberate murder" of civilians.
According to a UN human rights report, as many as 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15, 2024, during a brutal security crackdown on demonstrators under Hasina’s government.
Most of the Awami League leadership and key officials have either been arrested or are in hiding as the interim administration continues its sweeping crackdown.
India has so far not issued a public response to the latest appeal.
The tribunal accepted charges of crimes against humanity filed against her in connection with a mass protest in which hundreds of students were killed.
A three-member panel, headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, indicted Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun on five charges. Hasina and Khan are being tried in absentia, reported news agency AFP.
The indictment comes on the heels of a BBC report that revealed that Hasina reportedly gave direct orders for a deadly crackdown on protesters in 2024.
The audio, which is key evidence for the prosecution and was leaked online, is said to contain Hasina’s voice giving instructions to security forces.
In a recording dated July 18, 2024, the voice alleged to be Hasina is heard saying security forces should "use lethal weapons" against protesters and that "wherever they find (them), they will shoot".
The British government-controlled media outlet reported that audio forensics experts did not find signs of editing or manipulation in the recording. They also concluded it was "highly unlikely to have been synthetically generated".
Hasina's party denies BBC's claim
Hasina's Awami League party, however, denied that its leaders are responsible for the force used against protesters.
"The Awami League categorically denies and rejects claims that some of its senior leaders, including the prime minister herself, were personally responsible for or directed the use of lethal force against crowds," an Awami League spokesperson was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"The decisions made by senior government officials were proportionate in nature, made in good faith and intended to minimise the loss of life."
The party was quoted as saying by the news agency AFP instead that "breakdowns in discipline among some members of the security forces on the ground in response to instances of violence led to (a) regrettable loss of life".
Yunus government seeks extradition
Reacting to a BBC analysis of audio recordings, the Bangladesh interim government on Wednesday said India can no longer "protect" Hasina.
"We urge India to act with conscience and moral clarity. For too long India has refused to comply with Bangladesh's lawful request for Hasina's extradition. India can no longer protect her," chief adviser's press secretary Shafiqul Alam said, adding no regional friendship, strategic calculus and political legacy can excuse or obscure "deliberate murder" of civilians.
According to a UN human rights report, as many as 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15, 2024, during a brutal security crackdown on demonstrators under Hasina’s government.
Most of the Awami League leadership and key officials have either been arrested or are in hiding as the interim administration continues its sweeping crackdown.
India has so far not issued a public response to the latest appeal.
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