Thousands of people, led by students, rallied in the Bangladeshi capital on Tuesday, demanding the prosecution of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and those responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in the July uprising against her government.
The anti-discrimination student movement organized a “March for Unity” at the Central Shaheed Minar, a national monument in Dhaka. The protesters raised slogans demanding the prosecution of Hasina and a ban on her Awami League party.
Hasina fled to India on August 5 after weeks of violence in which officials say hundreds were killed and thousands injured on the orders of her government. The rebellion ended the 15-year rule of the country’s longest-serving prime minister, who began a fourth consecutive term in January after the election was boycotted by major opposition parties.
Last week, Bangladesh sent a formal request to India for Hasina’s extradition. He faces several court cases over the deaths of protesters, including charges of crimes against humanity.
Student movement convenor Hasnat Abdullah addressed the crowd and said, “We have no enemy in Bangladesh since August 5. Our only enemy is the Awami League.”
The protesters also urged the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to issue a formal proclamation detailing the events of the rebellion by 15 January.
Student leaders want the proclamation to include two key demands: a new constitution after the 1972 charter, which was implemented under Hasina’s father, is abolished, and a ban on the Awami League party.
Hasina’s Awami League had ruled Bangladesh for 15 years since 2009.
The Dhaka-based International Criminal Tribunal has already issued arrest warrants for Hasina and her close associates, and the government has sought help from international police organization Interpol for their arrest.
Speaking from the US, Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wajed has questioned the credibility of the tribunal and described the charges against her as “political witchcraft”.
Meanwhile, the interim government has promised to prosecute Hasina and others in her administration for alleged crimes related to the deaths of protesters and has invited the United Nations to help investigate the killings.
Hasina has also demanded an investigation, saying that people other than security agencies may also be involved in many of the deaths.