The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 45 other prominent leaders of the Awami League, alleging their involvement in crimes against humanity during the July-August uprising in Bangladesh.
The tribunal, led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumdar, approved the warrants after the prosecution submitted two petitions requesting the arrests. Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam confirmed to The Daily Star that authorities have been instructed to present the 46 individuals before the court after their arrests by November 18.
Among those named in the warrants are former ministers Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Hasan Mahmud, and Anisul Huq. This latest action adds to the mounting legal challenges facing Sheikh Hasina, who now faces a total of 155 cases against her.
The ICT was recently reconstituted, with Justice Mortuza appointed as chairman and two other judges, Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and former district and sessions judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury, joining the tribunal on October 15. The changes aim to expedite the trials related to the mass uprising, which led to the downfall of Hasina’s government on August 5, resulting in at least 753 deaths and thousands of injuries. So far, more than 60 allegations of crimes against humanity and genocide have been lodged against Hasina and other party members with the ICT investigation agency and prosecution team.