The case centers around the death of a grocery shop owner who was fatally shot by police last month during a crackdown on student protests. A court in Bangladesh has launched a murder investigation into ousted ex-premier Sheikh Hasina and six top figures in her administration over this incident.
The case accuses the seven of being responsible for the death of the grocery store owner, who was killed on July 19 when police violently suppressed protests. The investigation was initiated after Amir Hamza, a resident of the neighborhood where the shooting occurred and a “well-wisher” of the victim, brought the case forward.
Hamza’s lawyer stated that the Dhaka Metropolitan Court has ordered police to accept the murder case against the accused individuals, marking the first step in a criminal investigation under Bangladeshi law.
Hasina’s administration is now under investigation, with the court filing naming former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of Hasina’s Awami League party, and four top police officers appointed by her government. These officers have since vacated their posts.
This marks the first case filed against Hasina following a violent uprising that claimed around 300 lives, many of whom were college and university students. The student-led movement initially protested government job quotas before escalating into demands to oust Hasina, who had served as prime minister for the last 15 years. Her government has faced accusations of widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings.
Hasina, who fled to India on August 5, is currently sheltering in New Delhi. Her son has stated that she plans to return to Bangladesh when the caretaker government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, decides to hold elections.
