DHAKA, Bangladesh — A special tribunal in Bangladesh has implemented a ban on the broadcast of speeches by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in exile in India after being ousted during mass protests in August.
The ruling from the tribunal came shortly after Hasina made her first public appearance via a virtual address to her supporters in New York, where she accused the current interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, of committing acts of genocide and neglecting the protection of minority communities, particularly Hindus, since her removal from power.
The International Crimes Tribunal, based in Dhaka, agreed to this ban following a request from government prosecutors, according to prosecutor Golam Monawar Hossain Tamim. As part of this ruling, authorities were instructed to eliminate any leaked speeches or calls made by Hasina from both mainstream and social media platforms.
Hasina’s exile to India followed a significant uprising in July and August, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of protesters and injuries to thousands more. She faces multiple court cases related to these fatalities, including serious allegations of crimes against humanity. The tribunal has issued arrest warrants for her and several of her close aides, and the government has sought Interpol’s assistance in apprehending her.
Officials expressed concerns that disseminating Hasina’s speeches could potentially jeopardize the ongoing investigations and intimidate witnesses. “If speeches like these are allowed to circulate, it will hinder our ability to gather witnesses in future trials,” Tamim stated.
This tribunal was established during Hasina’s lengthy tenure of 15 years in office and has previously been employed to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes stemming from Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation war against Pakistan. Members of the Jamaat-e-Islami political party have faced execution after being convicted by the tribunal.
In her address to supporters in New York, Hasina revealed that there had been plots to assassinate her and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, similar to the assassination of their father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, an influential figure during the country’s fight for independence who was murdered in 1975, along with most of his family.
She recounted her experience of being forced to escape to India to prevent her security personnel from having to open fire on the armed protesters approaching her residence in Dhaka. “Had the guards fired, we could have faced significant casualties,” she remarked. “I urged them not to shoot, no matter the circumstances.”
Hasina maintains a friendly relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, since her departure, tensions between the predominantly Muslim Bangladesh and India have escalated, triggered by events such as the imprisonment of a notable Hindu leader in Bangladesh and aggressive incidents at a diplomatic office in India involving Hindus.
