Case against Sheikh Hasina at the International Criminal Court
A case has been filed at the International Criminal Court against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide during the anti-discrimination student-public movement in July-August.
Barrister Md. Ashraful Arefin of London-based Three Bolt Court Chambers filed the complaint on October 28.
The lawyer has requested an independent investigation against Sheikh Hasina and those involved in the complaint and the issuance of arrest warrants against the main suspects.
The case calls for an independent investigation into the allegations of crimes against humanity against ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former ministers and other influential government officials.
The plaintiff in the case, Barrister Md. Ashraful Arefin, gave this information at a press conference organized at the London-Bangla Press Club in the UK on Friday (November 1) local time.
At that time, Barrister Md. Ashraful Arefin said, I filed this complaint on October 28. Sheikh Hasina, her cabinet members and 70 people from various organizations involved in the massacre have been charged.
Regarding the allegations, Barrister Md. Ashraful Arefin further said, the students had taken up the movement demanding quota reform. They were shot dead. The whole world has seen how the police shot Abu Sayeed. We are highlighting these crimes against humanity.
At that time, the Bangladesh government deployed the police, RAB and the ruling Awami League's student front Chhatra League to suppress the movement. They indiscriminately used rubber bullets, sound grenades and live bullets on the protesters. It is reported that more than 1,400 people were killed and about 22,000 people were injured. In addition to the massacre, the allegations mentioned that at least 92 people lost their eyesight and hundreds of people were maimed in the shooting.
He further said that in this situation, a complaint has been filed with the International Criminal Court under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, seeking an independent investigation into the allegations of crimes against humanity against Sheikh Hasina, her cabinet and those concerned, with detailed descriptions of the incident, various reports and video evidence attached.