A Bangladeshi court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in exile since fleeing to India in August after being ousted from power by a student-led revolution.
The court ordered that Hasina be produced before it on November 18, according to Mohammad Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of Bangladesh‘s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
Hasina, 77, ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, a period marked by widespread human rights abuses, including the detention and extrajudicial killings of political opponents.
“Sheikh Hasina was at the helm of those who committed massacres, killings, and crimes against humanity between July and August,” said Islam, describing the court’s decision as a “remarkable day.”
Since her departure from Bangladesh, Hasina has not been seen in public, with her last known location being a military airbase near New Delhi, India. Her presence in India has sparked tensions between the two countries, leading Dhaka to revoke her diplomatic passport.
While Bangladesh and India have an extradition treaty, a clause allows refusal if the charges are of a “political character,” raising questions about whether Hasina will be returned to face trial.
Hasina’s government established the controversial ICT in 2010 to investigate war crimes committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.
However, the tribunal has faced widespread criticism from the United Nations and human rights groups for its lack of procedural fairness, and it is widely viewed as a tool used by Hasina to eliminate political rivals.
The court is currently investigating multiple cases accusing Hasina of orchestrating the mass killings of protesters during her time in power.
