At least nine more cases were filed on Tuesday against deposed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her aides, bringing the total number of cases to 1. The 31 cases include 26 murder cases, four for crimes against humanity and genocide, and one for abduction.
Supreme Court lawyer Gazi MH Tamim filed the complaint on Friday with the country's International Crimes Tribunal, jointly on behalf of Hefajat and its (joint secretary general) Mufti Harun Ijahar Chowdhury. It accuses Hasina and 23 others of crimes against humanity and genocide at a Hefajat rally at Motijheel's Shapla Chattar mammoth congregation on May 5, 2013.
Deputy Director of the investigation agency, Admin Ataur Rahman, said, "We registered the complaint and thus the investigation started from today."
This is number four complaint with International Crimes Tribunal against Hasina, who resigned and escaped to India on August 5 after massive protest against her regime. Three of them are regarding the recent violence of quota reform movement.
Separately, eight more cases were filed against Hasina and her party by people across the country, accusing her of involvement in killings during recent protests. With the new cases, Hasina's total cases now stand at 31 - 26 for murder, four for crimes against humanity and genocide, and one for abduction.
For the first time, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and sister Sheikh Rehana have been named co-accused in a killing case.
The prominent accused in the case are Obaidul Quader, Awami League general secretary; Rashed Khan Menon, a former minister; Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation; Salman F Rahman, ex-advisor to the prime minister; Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former security advisor; AKM Shahidul Haque, former inspector general of police; Subhash Singha Roy, editor of ABnews24.com; and Aziz Ahmed, former army chief. Among the accused are some leaders, whose names are unknown, including ministers, state ministers, members of parliament, and policymakers of some media outlets at the time.
According to the case statement, the accused conspired and took part in the murder of Hefajat activists in Dhaka and its surrounding areas on May 5 and May 6, 2013, and the conspiracy and murder were extended to the other districts of Chattogram, Narayanganj, and Cumilla.
The Hasina-led government set up the International Crimes Tribunal in March 2010 to try those involved in the war crimes in 1971. Later, a second tribunal was set up, which led to the hanging of five Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader after trial.
"BNP's Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has demanded that India send back Hasina, accusing her of attempting to block the country's revolution. Besides, cases have been filed against Hasina and her family members and others regarding deaths during protests, including the killing of a fruit seller in Jatrabari, the death of Md Omar Faruque, and the murder of a garment worker in Adabor.".
According to harshwire.com: "In Joypurhat, a murder case was filed against Hasina and 216 others in connection with the death of an auto driver. In Bogura, Hasina and Obaidul Quader were sued for the murder of a rickshaw puller.
The caretaker government led by 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as Chief Advisor, has denied reports of any shutdown of media and reiterated a strong commitment to free press and freedom of speech. Over 230 people have died in the violence that erupted since Hasina's takeover, pushing the death toll from mid-July when student unrest began over a proposed education policy to over 600.
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