Bangladesh tribunal indicts former PM Hasina on mass murder charges
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Dhaka (PTI): Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday indicted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two others on several charges, including mass murder, for their alleged role in the violent crackdown on student-led protests last year.
Sunday's proceedings marked the start of Hasina's trial in absentia nearly 10 months after the ouster of her government following the protests.
“We do hereby take into cognizance the charges,” the three-judge ICT bench said after a prosecution team formally accused them of attempting to tame the protests using brutal force.
The tribunal simultaneously issued a fresh arrest warrant against Hasina and then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
The third accused, the then inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, is in custody to stand trial in person.
The prosecution charged Hasina with exercising absolute authority to ruthlessly suppress the uprising. The two others were accused of provocation, complicity, abatement, instigation and facilitation.
All three were accused of superior command responsibility for the crimes.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam urged the court to treat the Awami League as a criminal organisation since the crimes were committed on a partisan basis.
Under the ICT-BD law, if convicted, Hasina and the co-accused could face the death penalty.
The proceedings of the tribunal were broadcast live on television for the first time in Bangladesh's history.
The proceedings were scheduled to begin at 9.30 am but were slightly delayed as unidentified people hurled three crude bombs at the gate of the tribunal hours before the beginning of the trial.
Police said two of the bombs exploded while the third was defused while they were trying to identify and arrest the miscreants, examining CCTV footage.
Ousted on August 5 last year after the agitation, Hasina faces multiple cases in Bangladesh.
The ICT-BD earlier issued an arrest warrant against Hasina while the interim government sought her repatriation from India in a diplomatic note. New Delhi has only acknowledged receipt with no further comment.
Most senior leaders and officials of Hasina’s party and government were arrested to face charges like mass murder during the July-August protests last year that left hundreds of people, including students and policemen, dead.
According to a UN rights office report, some 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year as violence continued even after the fall of Hasina's Awami League regime.
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Mamata alleges EC playing 'nice game' for BJP, questions transfer of officers ahead of Eid
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the EC, alleging that senior administrative and police officers were being transferred ahead of the assembly polls at the behest of the BJP.
She warned that the poll body and the saffron party would be responsible if any untoward incident happens in the state.
Addressing reporters while announcing the Trinamool Congress candidate list for the 2026 assembly elections, Banerjee questioned the timing of the changes in key administrative posts, particularly ahead of Eid.
"Why are senior officers being transferred just before Eid? Are there plans to trigger riots before elections?" she said.
The chief minister alleged that the list of officers who were transferred was prepared at the BJP's office and the decision was merely implemented by the Election Commission.
She further alleged that some officials from outside West Bengal had been brought in to assist the BJP in the electoral process.
"They have brought in some people from outside the state to help the BJP," she said.
Accusing the poll panel of acting under political pressure, the TMC supremo said the EC was "playing a nice game on behalf of the BJP".
"They should directly campaign for the BJP," she said.
Banerjee also alleged that the transfers were aimed at facilitating the movement of money and arms for the BJP ahead of the polls.
"The officers have been replaced so that money and arms are smoothly transferred to the BJP without any hindrance," she claimed.
Warning of consequences if any incident occurs during the election period, Banerjee said both the BJP and the Election Commission would have to answer for it.
"If something untoward happens, the BJP and the EC will be responsible. If something goes wrong, then they should be answerable," she said.
The TMC chief also attacked the BJP over its political campaign in the state and accused the party of using central agencies against her government.
After the poll dates were announced on Sunday, the EC transferred Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty and Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena. It subsequently removed DGP Peeyush Pandey and Kolkata CP Supratim Sarkar.
The elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases, on April 23 and 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
