Dhaka: After Bangladesh's deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was slapped with a murder case on Tuesday, a case of enforced disappearance was filed against her and several former members of her cabinet on Wednesday, on charges of kidnapping a lawyer in 2015. This is the second case filed against 76-year-old Hasina since she resigned and fled to India on August 5 following widespread protests over a controversial job quota system.
According to the Daily Star, Bangladesh Supreme Court lawyer Sohel Rana filed the case application against Hasina and others. The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate ordered the allegations to be accepted as a case. "On 10 February 2015, I was detained from Sector 5 in Uttara and forced into a vehicle. As soon as I was inside the car, I was nearly made unconscious by electric shocks to my ears and genitals," he was quoted as saying. "After enduring various forms of brutal torture over time, I was eventually released in August in Godagari, Rajshahi."
Apart from Hasina, others accused in the case include senior ministers of Hasina's cabinet, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former Law Minister Anisul Haq, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Shahidul Haque, former Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Benazir Ahmed, and 25 unidentified members of the RAB.
Murder case filed against Sheikh Hasina
On Tuesday, a murder case was filed against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with six others over the death of a grocery shop worker amid the unrest. The case was filed by a well-wisher of the grocery store owner Abu Sayed, who was killed on July 19 in police firing during a procession in support of the quota reform movement in Mohammadpur, according to Dhaka Tribune.
"In line with a case filed by a resident of (Dhaka's) Mohammadpur area, Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury has asked police to register it as an FIR," a court official said. Others booked in the case include Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun.
It is important to mention here that over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government on August 5, taking the death toll to 560 since the protests against the controversial quota system began in July.
Sheikh Hasina's first statement since ouster
Hasina, who is currently staying in India, released her first statement on Tuesday since her ouster from her country and demanded punishment for those involved in the killings and vandalism across the nation in student protests. “I appeal to you to observe the National Mourning Day on 15th August with due dignity and solemnity. Pray for the salvation of all souls by offering floral garlands and praying at Bangabandhu Bhaban,” the statement said.
She said that the Bangladesh which had gained recognition as a developing country across the globe has now been "reduced to ashes". "This is an extreme dishonor to the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose leadership we gained independence, self-respect, and a free country. This is an insult to the blood of millions of martyrs. I seek justice from the people of the country," it added.
The massive protests in Bangladesh were initially held by protesters against the controversial quota system in government jobs, but soon spiralled into a broader agitation against the Awami League government after Hasina's 'razakar' remarks and the harsh police crackdown on protesters. While the initial protests calmed down after the Supreme Court scaled back the quotas, the recent unrest broke out as several students demanded Hasina's resignation.
(with inputs from agency)
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