9 more cases filed against Sheikh Hasina, her aides in Bangladesh

DHAKA: At least nine more complaints were filed on Tuesday against Bangladesh's deposed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her aides, taking the number of cases against her to 31, including 26 on charges of murder, four on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide and one for abduction. Supreme Court lawyer Gazi MH Tamim filed a complaint with Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal on behalf of Mufti Harun Ijahar Chowdhury, joint secretary general (education and law) of Hefajat-e-Islam, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

The complaint accused Hasina and 23 others of committing crimes against humanity and genocide during a Hefajat-e-Islam rally at Motijheel's Shapla Chattar on May 5, 2013.

"We registered the complaint, and thus the investigation has started from today," Deputy Director (admin) of the investigation agency Ataur Rahman was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

This is the fourth complaint filed with the International Crimes Tribunal against the former premier, who resigned and fled to India on August 5 following massive protests against her regime.

Of the four, three cases are connected to the recent violence centring on the quota reform movement.

Separately, eight more cases were filed against the Awami League chairperson on Tuesday across the country, accusing her of killings committed during the recent protests, the newspaper said.

With these cases, Hasina is now facing 31 cases, including 26 on charges of murder, four on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide and one for abduction, it added.

Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul and sister Sheikh Rehana were made co-accused in a killing case for the first time, the paper said.

The prominent accused in the Hefajat-e-Islam case include Awami League general secretary and former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former minister Rashed Khan Menon, former mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, ex-advisor to prime minister Salman F Rahman, former security advisor to the prime minister Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Haque, editor of ABnews24.com Subhash Singha Roy and former army chief Aziz Ahmed.

Besides them, some unnamed ministers, state ministers and lawmakers, unnamed individuals from law enforcement agencies and the then policymakers of some electronic and print media were accused in the case.

According to the complaint, the accused, by giving directives and plan, committed crimes against humanity and genocide by killing Hefajat activists in Dhaka and surrounding areas and in different districts, including Chattogram, Narayanganj and Cumilla, between May 5 and 6, 2013, the paper said.

The Hasina-led government set up the International Crimes Tribunal in March 2010 to try those who committed war crimes in 1971. A second ICT was formed later. Five Jamaat-e-Islami and a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader were executed following the verdicts of the two tribunals.

BNP's Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday asked India to extradite Hasina to face trial as he accused her of plotting to thwart the country's revolution.

Hasina, her son Sajeeb, daughter Saima and sister Rehana and 17 others were sued in a case filed over the killing of a fruit seller in the capital's Jatrabari on August 5.

The victim's father, Sultan Miah, filed the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Shakil Ahmed.

Another case was filed against Hasina and 49 others over the death of Md Omar Faruque, a student of Kabi Nazrul Government College, at Laxmibazar of Sutrapur on July 19.

Hasina and 24 others were sued for the death of 18-year-old garment worker Sohel Rana in the city's Adabor area on August 5.

In Savar, Hasina and 75 Awami League men were sued over the murder of a barber shop worker on August 5.

In Narayanganj, a case was filed against Hasina, seven former ministers and lawmakers and 179 others for killing a bus helper in the Kanchpur area of Sonargaon upazila.

In Rangpur, Hasina, her sister and 49 were sued over the killing of a vegetable trader during the quota reform movement on July 19.

In Joypurhat, a murder case has been filed against Hasina along with 216 others in connection with the death of an auto driver in front of a police station on August 5.

In Bogura, Hasina and Obaidul Quader have been sued for the murder of a rickshaw puller on August 4.

Meanwhile, the interim government said it didn't shut down any media outlet.

The government firmly believes in a free press and freedom of speech, according to a press release of the Chief Adviser's Press Wing.

Over 230 people were killed in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students first started in mid-July.

The Hasina-led government was replaced by an interim government, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was named its Chief Adviser.
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