Last updated on August 30th, 2024 at 06:05 am
Five more murder cases have been lodged against Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, taking the number of such cases filed against her to 71. The charges further add to the mounting legal pressures on the 76-year-old former leader who went into exile in India following mass protests against her government.
Cases Filed in Dhaka and Rajshahi:
Of the new ones, four were lodged in Dhaka, one in Rajshahi. The cases accuse Hasina and several other former government officials, including ministers and police officers of being responsible for the deaths during the nationwide month-long protests that rocked Bangladesh earlier this year.
Details of the Accusations:
- In Dhaka, a first information report of the first case over the murder of one Dulal alias Selim in Jatrabari on August 3 in the mass demonstration received. In this connection, the dead boy’s brother, named Mostafa Kamal, has sued 48 persons including Hasina. In the second occurrence, a machine operator at filling station Mansur Miah was murdered in Mohammadpur on July 19.
- The third case accuses Hasina and 91 others for being responsible for the death of Miraz Hossain in Demra on August 5.
- The fourth accuses her of the murder of 21-year-old Nahidul Islam at Mirpur-10 on July 19.
- In Rajshahi, Hasina along with former state minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam was made accused in a murder case filed by a member of Bagha upazila Chhatra Dal along with 52 others.
Political Fallout:
The cases come after Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5, following intense anti-government protests led by students against a controversial job quota system. Her government was replaced by an interim administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser.
Exponentially Growing Death Toll:
The collapse of the Hasina government has indeed set all of Bangladesh on fire. More than 230 fresh killings have been reported in the aftermath of the collapse of the government, taking the toll to over 600 since the beginning of mid-July, when the movements began.
The legal challenges continue to mount for Sheikh Hasina as Bangladesh remains firmly in the throes of political unrest. As the number of cases mounts to 71, the former Prime Minister can see her future way hazier with the unrest still persisting in the country.