DHAKA: Bangladesh’s interim govt said on Sunday that it would request an Interpol “red notice” alert to repatriate deposed PM Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League colleagues from abroad to face trial for alleged crimes against humanity. They are accused of involvement in “killings and genocide” during the student-led uprising in July-Aug that led to Hasina’s ouster. “It will be done very soon,” law adviser Asif Nazrul said on Sunday.
France-based Interpol publishes red notices at the request of a member nation, based on an arrest warrant issued in their home country. The Yunus-led administration has moved quickly to try the top Awami League functionaries, including Hasina and general secretary Obaidul Quader, by having arrest warrants issued against them through International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). A local court has ordered the authorities to arrest and present them before it by Nov 18. ICT chief prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam said steps would be taken to bring Awami League to justice if the govt issues directives.
The development came even as complaint of “genocide” and other crimes was filed at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against 62 individuals, including interim govt chief adviser Muhammad Yunus.
The complaint was filed by former Sylhet mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury. Other than Yunus and his advisers, Chowdhury also wants co-ordinators of the students’ uprising prosecuted. Chowdhury has alleged “genocide and crimes against humanity against Awami League’s leaders and activists, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and police in Bangladesh, all of whom were killed in the name of the students’ movement”. The complaint was lodged under Article 15 of ICC’s Rome Statute, which empowers individuals and others to send information on crimes within the court’s jurisdiction. Yunus’ law adviser Nazrul dismissed the plea as an attempt to mislead global opinion. “This is not a case. It is just a petition. Any person can do that,” he said.
