Bangladesh has taken a significant step toward accountability as a court formally charged 28 individuals on October 9, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ex-Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, over allegations of enforced disappearances, secret detentions, and torture. The International Crimes Tribunal also issued arrest warrants against the accused. Human Rights Watch (HRW) welcomed the move, highlighting years of impunity under Hasina’s administration, during which extrajudicial killings, torture, and suppression of dissent reportedly increased. HRW’s Asia Deputy Director Meenakshi Ganguly noted that previous promises of investigation went unfulfilled. Following mass protests in 2024 that led to Hasina’s fall, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus formed a commission investigating disappearances, documenting over 1,850 cases, with more than 300 people believed to have died in custody. HRW emphasized the importance of fair trial standards and expressed ongoing concern about potential use of the death penalty, while acknowledging this development as a rare step toward justice.
After a long wait, on October 9, a Bangladeshi court formally charged 28 individuals over allegations of enforced disappearances, secret detentions, and torture. Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed satisfaction with this development.
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