Bangladesh has welcomed Sheikh Hasina’s plan to return to Dhaka and said that she will have to go through the judicial process to prove her innocence. Sheikh Hasina, 78, has been living in India after fleeing Dhaka after massive protests in August 2024. Last week, sources close to her had said that she is preparing to return to Dhaka on her own free will by the end of this year to strengthen her Awami League.
Regarding this matter, Zahid Ur Rahman, advisor to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rahman, challenged Hasina to bring the world’s best lawyers with her to Dhaka to defend her against the charges of crimes against humanity. “We welcome his announcement because we want to ensure justice,” Zahid ur Rehman said at a media briefing. He further said, “The people of the country want the death penalty to be retained for the crimes committed by them and in such a situation they will be given the death penalty because that is what the people want to see.”
“Let her (Sheikh Hasina) get the best lawyers in the world,” he said, according to the Daily Star. Rahman said that the proceedings of the International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh) (ICT-BD) will be transparent and observers will be able to monitor them and its video coverage can also be shown. He said that it is also possible that the court may reconsider the verdict against Hasina or acquit her.
what are the allegations
Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was removed from power on 5 August 2024 following violent student protests. Rahman said that there have been such cases in the past also, when the decisions of ICT-BD made during the Awami League rule in 2010 were stayed or were reversed. Rehman said that procedural problems will not become a hindrance in their return and Delhi can make arrangements by talking to Dhaka on this matter.
Demand to extradite Sheikh Hasina from New Delhi
In November last year, a special tribunal in Dhaka had considered Hasina’s actions during the student protests in 2024 as a crime against humanity and hence sentenced her to death. Sheikh Hasina has rejected the death sentence and the charges against her as politically motivated. Since the verdict, Dhaka has been demanding New Delhi to extradite him so that he can face the law.
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