Bangladesh to Ask India for Sheikh Hasina's Extradition
Ms. Hasina's government faced accusations of extensive human rights violations, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of political opponents.
The newly appointed chief prosecutor of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) announced on Sunday that the country will take steps to extradite deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India to stand trial on charges of genocide related to the student-led uprising that led to the overthrow of her 15-year administration on August 5.
"Bangladesh has a criminal extradition treaty with India. She will be brought back in accordance with that agreement. Not only Hasina but all those involved in the massacre will face trial," stated chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, who has a background with Jamaat-e-Islami.
As a Supreme Court advocate, Islam previously served as the deputy to barrister Abdur Razzaque, who led the legal defense team for former Jamaat leaders facing war crimes charges at the ICT. After Razzaque fled to the UK to avoid arrest during Hasina's Awami League administration, Islam took over as lead counsel for Jamaat's defense.
Islam, who is also a prominent figure in the Amar Bangladesh Party, founded by Jamaat-Shibir members, said Hasina is the primary suspect in most of the genocide and crimes against humanity cases. "The biggest challenge now is to preserve the evidence and bring it into the legal framework to prove the cases," he warned, noting attempts to destroy evidence related to the killings in July.
0 Comments