Thousands of people marched in Bangladesh demanding trial against the ousted Prime Minister. Sheikh Hasina News
The government of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is accused of killing hundreds of protesters last summer.
Thousands of people rallied in the Bangladesh capital to demand the prosecution of those responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in the July uprising against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government.
The anti-discrimination student movement organized a march for unity at Dhaka’s national monument, Central Shaheed Minar, on Tuesday. The protesters raised slogans demanding the prosecution of Hasina and a ban on her Awami League party.
Hasina fled to India on August 5 after weeks of violence in which officials said hundreds were killed and thousands injured on the orders of her government. The rebellion ended the 15-year rule of the country’s longest-serving prime minister, who began a fourth consecutive term in January after the elections were boycotted by opposition parties.
Last week, Bangladesh sent a formal request to India for Hasina’s extradition. He faces several court cases over the deaths of protesters, including charges of crimes against humanity.
“Since August 5, we have no enemy in Bangladesh. Our only enemy is the Awami League,” student movement convener Hasnat Abdullah said while addressing the crowd.
The protesters also urged the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to issue a formal proclamation endorsing the rebellion by January 15.
Student leaders want the proclamation to include two key demands: a new constitution after abolishing the current charter, which was enacted under Hasina’s father in 1972, and a ban on the Awami League.
Hasina’s party had ruled Bangladesh since 2009.
The Dhaka-based International Criminal Tribunal has already issued arrest warrants for Hasina and her close associates, and the government has sought help from international police organization Interpol for their arrest.
Speaking from the United States, Hasina’s son Sajib Wajed has questioned the credibility of the tribunal and described the charges against her as “political witchcraft”.
Meanwhile, the interim government has promised to prosecute Hasina and others in her administration on charges related to the deaths of protesters and has invited the United Nations to help investigate the killings.
Hasina has also demanded an investigation, saying that parties other than security agencies may also be involved in many of the deaths.
