Bangladesh govt to seek Interpol's help to repatriate Sheikh Hasina from India

Bangladesh's interim government has said it will seek Interpol's help to repatriate exiled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India, to face trial for alleged “crimes against humanity”, PTI reported on Sunday.

The 77-year-old Awami League chief and her party leaders are accused of brutal suppression of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, resulting in numerous casualties during the July-August protests. The movement later intensified into a large-scale uprising, forcing Hasina to secretly flee to India on August 5.

Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has said that at least 753 people were killed and thousands injured during the protests. The government has said that over 60 complaints of crimes against humanity and genocide were filed against Hasina and her Awami League leaders with the International Crimes Tribunal and the prosecution team till mid-October.

"A Red Notice will be issued through Interpol very soon. No matter where in the world these fugitive fascists are hiding, they will be brought back and held accountable in court," PTI quoted law affairs advisor Asif Nazrul.

According to the Bangladesh government officials, a red notice is not an international arrest warrant, but a global request for the law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.

Interpol member countries enforce Red Notices according to their national laws.
International Crimes Tribunal

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) was set up by Hasina's government in 2010 to try the perpetrators of the crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.

It later formed ICT-2, and at least six Jamaat-e-Islami and leaders of Hasina's arch-rival Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were executed following the judgments of the two tribunals. The tribunal remained dormant since mid-June after its chairman retired.

The interim government reconstituted the tribunal on October 12. Five days later, the ICT issued arrest warrants against Hasina and 45 others, including her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and several of her former cabinet members.

The interim government earlier said that Hasina and several of her cabinet colleagues and Awami League leaders would be tried in this special tribunal.