Bangladesh Tribunal Extends Deadline For Investigation Into Charges Against Hasina

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Tuesday extended the deadline for completing the investigation into the crimes against humanity charges filed against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina by two months, a media report said.

A three-member bench, led by its Chairman Justice Golam Mortuza Mazumder, passed the order and also extended the deadline until February 18 to complete the investigation in a case filed against Hasina and 45 others, including former ministers, for genocide during the July-August student-led protests, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

Hasina, 77, fled to India on August 5 after unprecedented anti-government protests.

On August 5, the student-led Monsoon Revolution under the banner of “Students Against Discrimination” succeeded in toppling Hasina’s 16-year regime, propelled by fervent demands for change and accountability.

The newspaper said that probe reports for two cases were scheduled for completion today but the investigation agency sought more time, according to the prosecution.

Former agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque was shown as arrested in the genocide case on Tuesday besides 15 high profile individuals who were shown arrested in the case earlier.

The arrested persons include former law minister Anisul Huq, former industries minister Amir Hossain Amu, former food minister Qamrul Islam, former civil aviation and tourism minister Lt Col (Retd) Faruk Khan, former minister and workers party president Rashed Khan Menon among others.

Meanwhile, an inquiry commission set up by the interim government said in a provisional report recently that it has found Hasina’s involvement in alleged incidents of enforced disappearance.

The Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance estimated that the number of enforced disappearances would be over 3,500.

“The commission has found evidence of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s involvement as the instructor in the incidents of enforced disappearance,” the press wing of the office of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said in a statement.