Bangladesh may seek Hasina’s trial in International Criminal Court: Report
ICC prosecutor reportedly told Yunus that ICC would like to cooperate with the ICT, the Bangladesh court dealing with cases related to July uprising crimes
Bangladesh intends to get former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and others of her regime tried in the International Criminal Court for their alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July mass uprising and the alleged enforced disappearances during her 16-year rule, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has reportedly said.
According to The Daily Star, Yunus said this when ICC prosecutor Karim A Khan visited him in Dhaka on Wednesday (November 27). Yunus’s press wing reportedly said that Khan, in reply, said the ICC would like to cooperate with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), the Bangladesh court that is dealing with the cases related to crimes committed during the July uprising.
Also read: Rush over trial may be Yunus’s way of keeping Hasina out of Bangladesh
The ICT has already issued an arrest warrant against Hasina and members of her political party, the Awami League.
In a separate press briefing, a senior lawyer of the ICC said it was ready to assist ICT if Bangladesh requested so. “The ICC has always said that it is available to assist states in terms of technical support, training, and guidance when requested,” Essa Mbye Faal reportedly said.
Bangladesh’s indecision
Yunus has been making several contradictory statements on how Bangladesh wants to deal with Hasina, showing the caretaker government’s indecisiveness on the subject.
In an address on the completion of 100 days of the interim government on November 17, Yunus said they would seek the extradition of Hasina, who fled to India after the fall of her government following a mass protest in August.
Also read: As mobocracy rules Bangladesh, law and order, human rights take a hit
In October, however, he had told to UK-based Financial Times newspaper that his government would not immediately seek Hasina’s extradition from India.
Yunus has claimed that about 1,500 people, including students and workers, were killed while 19,931 were wounded during the protest against the Hasina government.