Bangladesh revokes Sheikh Hasina's passport, cites crimes against humanity

Sheikh Hasina and 11 others are summoned to a Bangladesh court on February 12. The former Prime Minister fled to India in August after student protests ended her 16-year Awami League rule

Bangladesh’s interim government has cancelled the passports of 97 individuals, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, citing allegations of involvement in enforced disappearances and killings during the July uprising, according to a report by PTI.

 

Hasina, 77, fled to India in August last year after student-led protests ended her 16-year Awami League rule.

 

According to the report, the International Crimes Tribunal has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and 11 others for “crimes against humanity and genocide.” They have been ordered to appear in court on February 12.

 

This marks the second arrest warrant issued against Hasina, who fled to India after the fall of her Awami League-led government amid massive anti-government protests in August. Allegations of crimes against humanity and genocide during the July-August uprising have heightened legal scrutiny against her.

 

 

Addressing a press briefing here, Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said, “The Passports Department cancelled passports of 22 people involved in enforced disappearances, while passports of 75 people, including Sheikh Hasina, were revoked due to their involvement in the July killings.” He did not disclose the names of others involved.

 

Prosecutors claim that Hasina’s government fostered state-sponsored disappearances, with elite units like the Rapid Action Battalion implicated in abductions. Many victims reportedly remain missing. The interim government has formally requested Hasina’s extradition from India, but New Delhi has not commented on the matter.

 

During Hasina’s tenure, a government commission reported over 1,600 enforced disappearance complaints, with 27 per cent of victims still unaccounted for. These allegations, combined with the July killings, have intensified legal pressure on the former leader. The investigations of the International Crimes Tribunal and recent actions mark a significant chapter in Bangladesh’s efforts to address alleged human rights abuses under the Awami League government.