Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Accused in Murder Case

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Accused in Murder Case

Deposed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, along with six of her close associates, has been accused in a murder case just a week after her resignation and flight from the country, according to court officials on Tuesday.

The case was filed by Amir Hamza, a businessman, in Dhaka’s metropolitan magistrate court. He alleges that Hasina, two of her former Cabinet ministers, and senior police officers are responsible for the death of Abu Sayeed, who was killed during a police crackdown on student protesters in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur neighborhood on July 19.

Hamza claims that Sayeed died when police opened fire indiscriminately on the protesters, as stated by defense lawyer Anwarul Islam. The judge has ordered a local police station to investigate the allegations.

Among those named in the case are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, former police chief Abdullah Al Mamun, and three other police officers.

The murder accusation comes in the wake of a violent month in Bangladesh, during which over 500 people were reportedly killed. The unrest began with student protests against a discriminatory government job quota system and escalated into a broader uprising against Hasina’s administration.

Hasina resigned on August 5 and fled to India via military helicopter, sparking further violence as protesters targeted police and the homes, businesses, and offices of her loyalists.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has since been appointed as the head of an interim government formed last week. Protesters have labeled Hasina as an authoritarian leader, accusing her of deploying excessive force to suppress dissent by using police, paramilitary forces, and the army.