NJ THAKURIA, Narinjara News,August 17, 2024

Guwahati: As if the sudden drive out from the PrimeMinister’s Office in Dhaka was not enough for the consecutive fourth timepremier of Bangladesh, Myanmar’s western neighbour, now more troubles arewaiting for  Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s celebrated daughterSheikh Hasina.

Taking refuge in neighbouring Bharat (India), theousted premier now faces a number of police complaints in her country as beinga conspirator to kill hundreds of civilians including young students from 1July  till her hurried departure from Dhaka on 5 August 2024.  So her immediate return, as the Awami League chief reportedly expected, will bemore difficult now.

Lately, the International Crimes Tribunal(ICT), which was redefined by Hasina herself with an aim to adjudicate thewar criminals of 1971 liberation movement against the then West Pakistaniforces, started an investigation against Hasina along with a few others withcharges relating to genocide during the anti government job-quota protestdemonstration that turned into overthrowing Hasina movement across the southAsian nation. In a dramatic situation that unfolded in Dhaka, Hasina had toresign and take temporary shelter in India, where no government across theworld is yet to offer her a safe passage.

The petition at ICT against Hasina and some of hertrusted associates in the ministry and party was submitted by one Md BulbulKabir (father of Arif Ahmed Siam, the IX standard student killed during the jobquota reform movement), accusing Hasina and some others of ordering a violentcrackdown on the protestors resulted in the killing a number of students.

Earlier, the relative of Faizul Islam Rajon (student of Dhaka Model DegreeCollege) lodged a complaint against the authorities for his death due to policefiring during the movement. One more case was lodged following the killing of abusinessman identified as Abu Said.

The prime opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP), which boycotted the last general elections on 7 January this year, alsodemanded an impartial investigation into all the killings during the unrest.Led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the BNP even insisted on a probe tobe conducted by the  United Nations to identify the culprits involved withthe massacre of  agitating students and young people. Arguing that agovernment-sponsored (read Hasina regime in Dhaka) genocide should be probed byan impartial investigation agency of international standards, the BNPleadership urged the functioning interim  government of Bangladesh, whichwas  sworn in on 8 August, to endorse the inquiry.

Meanwhile, the interim government under the leadershipof Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus decided to launch a probe intothe killing of nearly 600 people during the mass uprising against theHasina-led government. Bangladesh apex court’s bar association has alreadyurged New Delhi  to arrest Hasina and her accompanying sister Rehana toarrest and send back to Dhaka for trials. The forum claimed that protesterswere violently targeted by the law enforcement agencies along with theworkers of Awami League and its affiliates  namely Chatra League and JubaLeague.

Recently, the UNhuman rights chief Volker Türk called Prof Yunus and agreed to send afact-finding team to Bangladesh to investigate widespread human rights abusesin the populous country during the students’ agitation from 1 July to the firstweek of August. Incidentally it would be the first occasion when the UN sends afact-finding mission to Bangladesh since its independence in 1971. Prof Yunusthanked the  UN secretary general Antonio Guterres for supporting themovement of Bangladeshi students for their legitimate rights. Stating thatprotection of every citizen remains top priority of the caretaker government,Prof Yunus also sought UN cooperation for rebuilding the nation.

Earlier, the Amnesty International urged the Bangladeshi authoritiesto conduct ‘a swift, thorough, impartial and independent investigation’ intothe crimes against Hindu, Ahmadi and other minority communities and associatedincidents of mob violence to ensure that those responsible are prosecuted infair and transparent trials, without resorting to the death penalty.

Theinterim government must ensure the rights to equality, non-discrimination andbodily integrity of everyone and bring an end to the revenge culture ofattacking political opponents that Bangladesh has witnessed in the past, itadded.