 "Bangladesh to prosecute student protest killings in international tribunal")
Bangladesh’s interim government announced on Wednesday (August 14) that it plans to prosecute those responsible for the recent killings during the student-led mass protests against the Sheikh Hasina-led government in the International Crimes Tribunal, as reported by PTI.
“The interim government has made preparations to investigate these incidents under the supervision of the United Nations (UN). The murders conducted within the period from July 1 to August 5 will be tried by the International Crimes Tribunal,” said Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, as quoted by the state-run BSS news agency.
More than 230 people lost their lives in Bangladesh during the violent unrest that spread across the country following the fall of the Hasina government on August 5. This brought the death toll to 560 during the three weeks of violence, which began with a student movement against a controversial job quota system, PTI reported.
“We looked into the incidents of random firing and killings to find the fact whether there is the scope to prosecute it as a crime against humanity. We are working to try the July-August massacres under the International Criminal Tribunal Act 1973, (amended in 2009, and 2013). Under this Act, all those involved in the killings, those ordered them and those assisted them in various ways, can be brought to justice,” Nazrul said.
He also mentioned that an investigation team, fully supervised by the United Nations, will ensure complete transparency and impartiality in the process. “No one from the outgoing government involved in the murders will be exempted,” he added.
More From This Section
Violence sweeps Bangladesh
In the week following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on August 5, there have been at least 200 attacks on Hindus and other religious minorities across 52 districts, according to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, a minority rights group monitoring the incidents.
On Tuesday, the bodies of 29 Awami League leaders and their family members were discovered across violence-ridden Bangladesh, following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as Prime Minister and her departure to India, according to India Today.
In Satkhira, at least 10 people were killed amid the ongoing violence after Hasina’s resignation. The Dhaka Tribune reported that homes and businesses owned by Awami League leaders were targeted, resulting in vandalism and looting.
In Cumilla city, mob attacks led to the deaths of 11 people, six of whom were killed when miscreants set fire to a three-storey residence owned by former councillor Mohammad Shah Alam, according to the report.
On Tuesday, four people died when a mob set fire to the residence of MP Shafiqul Islam Shimul. The victims’ bodies were found in various parts of the house, including rooms, balconies, and the roof, the report said.
However, the interim government has appealed to cease all violence against the minorities in the country. “The attacks on religious minorities in some places have been noted with grave concern,” the interim cabinet said on Sunday in its first official statement since its members were sworn in on Thursday night.
(With inputs from PTI)