DHAKA: Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal is to seek the extradition of ousted leader Sheikh Hasina from neighbouring India, its chief prosecutor has said, accusing her of carrying out “massacres”.

Weeks of student-led demonstrations in Bangladesh escalated into mass protests last month, with Hasina quitting as prime minister and fleeing by helicopter to old ally India on August 5, ending her iron-fisted 15-year rule.

“As the main perpetrator has fled the country, we will start the legal procedure to bring her back,” Mohammad Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of Bangladesh’s Interna­tional Crimes Tribunal (ICT), told reporters on Sunday.

The ICT was set up by Hasina in 2010 to probe atrocities during the 1971 independence war from Pakistan.

Hasina’s government was accused of widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killing of her political opponents.

“Bangladesh has a criminal extradition treaty with India which was signed in 2013, while Sheikh Hasina’s government was in power,” Islam added.

“As she has been made the main accused of the massacres in Bangladesh, we will try to legally bring her back to Bangladesh to face trial”.

Hasina, 76, has not been seen in public since fleeing Bangladesh.

Her presence in India has infuriated Bangladesh. Dhaka has revoked her diplomatic passport, and the countries have a bilateral extradition treaty which would permit her return to face criminal trial.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2024