Former exiled-PM Sheikh Hasina faces a second arrest warrant

The tribunal sets February 12 deadline for Hasina and 12 other accused to be arrested and presented.

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued a second arrest warrant against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, accusing her of involvement in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during her tenure.

Alongside Hasina, 12 other individuals, including prominent military and police figures, have been named in the case.

The tribunal has set a deadline of February 12, 2025, for their arrest.

The arrest warrant was issued on Monday, January 6, 2025, following a hearing at the ICT.

Among the accused are Major General (retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddique, former defence advisor to Hasina, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, and Ziaul Ahsan, former Director General of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC).

All are accused of being involved in extrajudicial killings and the unlawful disappearance of political opponents.

This is the second arrest warrant issued against the 77-year-old Hasina, who fled to India in August 2024 after being ousted during a student-led revolution.

Bangladesh authorities have already requested assistance from Interpol and formally approached India to facilitate her extradition.

The first warrant against Hasina, issued in October 2024, was related to alleged crimes against humanity during the student protests against her government.

The ICT ordered that Hasina and 45 other individuals be arrested and presented before the court by November 18, 2024.

In addition to the political violence, over 230 people were killed during protests that took place after Hasina’s government fell, adding to a death toll exceeding 600 from the mass protests that began in mid-July against a controversial quota system for government jobs.

Bangladesh's interim government has vowed to prosecute those responsible for violence during the student movement, with proceedings now underway in the International Crimes Tribunal.