Dhaka: Gonotantrik Bangladesh Network, a platform of Bangladeshi expatriates, has called on the interim government to prioritize the trial of the Awami League for crimes against humanity under the International Crimes Tribunal. The group emphasized that these crimes were orchestrated under the leadership of the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. They insist that Hasina and her associates must face justice for their alleged actions.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, during a virtual press conference, members of the expatriate group referred to a report published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The report implicates various forces, including law enforcement agencies led by the Awami League, in severe human rights violations. These violations reportedly include extrajudicial killings, mass arrests, torture, and sexual violence throughout the country.
Key speakers at the press conference included Dr. Azfar Hussain, a professor at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, US; engineer Tonmoy Karmakar; anthropologist and writer Nasreen Khondkar; and Bornoali Saha, the 2024 Syed Waliullah Literary Award-winning fiction writer. The group asserted that all individuals responsible for these violations, including Hasina, should be tried for crimes such as human rights abuses, torture, disappearances, murders, corruption, and money laundering during Hasina’s administration.
They further called on the interim government to take immediate actions such as documenting the names of the martyrs and injured, providing necessary medical and rehabilitation support, investigating the crimes committed during the uprising and over 16 years of alleged fascist rule, and working towards restoring law and order.
The OHCHR report highlights that at least 1,400 people were killed, predominantly by law enforcers, with thousands more suffering severe injuries. The report also sheds light on the prevalence of gender-based violence, detailing how numerous women faced physical and sexual abuse, with some even receiving threats of rape from pro-government forces.
The Gonotantrik Bangladesh Network described the UN report as a vital step in holding those accountable, including Sheikh Hasina, and urged the interim government to ensure thorough investigations and that justice is served for these crimes. They also called for diplomatic measures to extradite fugitives, including Sheikh Hasina, back to Bangladesh for trial.