DHAKA, Bangladesh
Bangladeshi student representatives on Saturday urged the United Nations to assist in taking former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising last year.
The demand was made during a meeting between a student delegation and visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Dhaka. Guterres is in Bangladesh for a four-day visit, set to conclude on Sunday.
Earlier, a local court issued three arrest warrants against Hasina on charges of mass killings and enforced disappearances.
According to a UN fact-finding report, approximately 1,400 people, including 13% children, were killed in the July-August crackdown. The UN has also accused Hasina and her Awami League party of crimes against humanity.
“We told UN chief Guterres how the UN could guide or assist the justice system in ensuring a proper trial for Hasina and her Awami League Party, particularly how Hasina and her collaborators could be prosecuted at the ICC,” said Umama Fatema, spokesperson of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, speaking to reporters after the meeting.
Guterres responded by stating that Bangladesh is a member of the ICC, and if the country appeals and other member states agree, it could be possible. However, he noted that the process would also depend on other stakeholders involved.
The students also sought UN assistance in deporting Hasina and her collaborators from India, where they have been in exile since August 5 following the student-led civilian uprising that ended her 15-year rule.
Additionally, they called for a review of the appointment of Hasina’s daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, as the regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO), alleging that Hasina influenced the decision despite her daughter lacking the necessary qualifications.
Drawing parallels to the social media propaganda used by Myanmar’s military to facilitate the 2017 Rohingya massacre, the students said those involved in the uprising are now facing similar online harassment and disinformation campaigns.
Guterres also expressed concern over the spread of disinformation targeting Bangladesh.
The students further urged the UN to intervene in stopping the killings of Bangladeshi citizens along the India-Bangladesh border, where over 2,000 people have reportedly been killed.
The two neighboring countries, which share a 4,096-kilometer (2,545-mile) border, have witnessed increasing tensions, including border-related disputes.