Bangladesh court issues arrest warrant for former leader Sheikh Hasina

A Bangladeshi court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for former leader Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August after being ousted by a student-led uprising.

The court has directed that Hasina be brought before it on November 18, according to Mohammad Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh.

During her 15-year rule, Hasina faced allegations of widespread human rights abuses, including the mass arrest and extrajudicial killing of political opponents.

Islam described the court’s decision as a “remarkable day,” claiming that Hasina had led those responsible for massacres and crimes against humanity from July to August.

The 77-year-old has not been seen in public since her escape from Bangladesh, and her last known location was a military base near New Delhi, India.

Her presence in India has sparked anger in Bangladesh, which has since revoked her diplomatic passport.

Although Bangladesh and India have a bilateral extradition treaty that allows for her return to face trial, a clause in the treaty permits denial of extradition if the crime is deemed political in nature.

Hasina’s administration established the controversial International Crimes Tribunal in 2010 to investigate atrocities from the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. However, the tribunal has faced criticism from the United Nations and human rights organizations over procedural flaws and is widely viewed as a tool for eliminating political rivals.

The court is currently investigating several cases accusing Hasina of orchestrating the mass killing of protesters.