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Besides Hasina, the passports of other 96 individuals were revoked by the interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus
Bangladesh Former PM Sheikh Hasina (L) and interim leader Muhammad Yunus (R). (Image: AFP)
The interim government of Bangladesh has revoked the passport of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina citing her alleged involvement in killings and forced disappearances linked to the last year’s students protests.
Besides Hasina, the passports of other 96 individuals were revoked by the interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Daily Star reported.
Azad Majumder, Deputy Press Secretary to Chief Adviser Yunus, while addressing the press conference on Tuesday, said that of the revoked passports, 22 were linked to enforced disappearances, while 75, including Hasina’s, were tied to the violence during the uprising.
Arrest Warrant Against Sheikh Hasina
The move comes a day after an arrest warrant was issued by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) against Hasina and 11 others for enforced disappearances. The tribunal has issued a deadline of February 12 for the apprehension and presentation of all accused parties, including Hasina.
The chairman of the ICT, Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumder, has issued a warrant stressing the importance of a thorough investigation. The Inspector General of Police has been assigned the responsibility of ensuring that the accused individuals are apprehended and brought before the tribunal.
Dhaka has already issued an arrest warrant on charges of crimes against humanity for 77-year-old Hasina, who fled to India in August after she was toppled by a student-led revolution. Her 15-year tenure saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents.
Over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government.
The ICT has lodged several cases against Hasina, including allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity. A commission set up by the interim government reported 1,676 complaints of enforced disappearances during her tenure, with 27% of victims still unaccounted for.
More than 500 people were allegedly abducted by Bangladeshi security personnel, with some detained in secret facilities for years, as reported by news agency AFP.
- Location :
Dhaka, Bangladesh