The latest murder charge takes the total number of cases against Sheikh Hasina to 12, including nine for murder, one for abduction, and two for committing crimes against humanity and genocide in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Unrest: A fresh murder case was filed Sunday against deposed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina for over the killing of two students who were gunned down during the recent anti-government protests which triggered the fall of her Awami League regime in Bangladesh.
According to Bangladesh media reports, a murder case was registered against Hasina, the latest in the slew of cases filed against the 76-year-old former premier, and 12 others over the murder of two students in Dhaka’s Sutrapur area during the violence that led to her ouster.
The case was filed filed with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Torikul Islam over the killing of Kobi Nazrul Govt College student Ikram Hossain Kawser and Shaheed Suhrawardi College student Omar Faruk, state-run BSS news agency reported.
The two students were shot dead in separate incidents by police and the Awami League supporters as they were staging protests along with hundreds of others in front of the Kobi Nazrul Govt College and Shaheed Suhrawardi College on July 19, the report said.
12 cases against Hasina so far
The latest murder charge takes the total number of cases against Sheikh Hasina to 12, including nine for murder, one for abduction, and two for committing crimes against humanity and genocide in Bangladesh.
The other accused in the case include Awami League General Secretary and former minister Obaidul Quader, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud and former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel, according to Bangladesh-based bdnews24.com news portal.
Former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Deputy Inspector General of Dhaka Range Syed Nurul Islam, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former DB chief Harunor Rashid, Additional Joint Commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar, and DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman were also among those named in the case, the report said.
Another 200-250 unnamed people, including leaders and activists of Awami League and its front organisations, were accused in the case, according to the report.
Over 600 killed in anti-Hasina protests
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 protests, which started off against as a demonstration against a controversial quota system in government jobs, morphed into full-blown protests against the Hasina regime following a brutal crackdown against student protesters by the police and armed forces.
The protests ultimately forced Sheikh Hasina to step down and flee to India on August 5, following which an interim government was formed in Bangladesh, with 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as its Chief Adviser.
(With inputs from agencies)