International Crimes Tribunal prosecutor rules out legal leniency for fugitive Sheikh Hasina
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Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cannot claim ignorance of legal proceedings to secure a waiver for delayed court appearances, a senior prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal said on Sunday.
Prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hossain Tamim dismissed the possibility of Hasina successfully using the defense that she was unaware of the case against her. Addressing reporters at the tribunal premises, Tamim asserted that defendants who have publicly commented on their cases and expressed intentions to return to the country forfeit the right to plead a lack of knowledge of the judicial process.
Last November 17, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan to death for crimes against humanity committed during the July mass uprising. Former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was sentenced to five years in prison in the same case. While Al-Mamun is in custody, Hasina and Khan remain fugitives.
Addressing recent reports of Hasina’s potential return to Bangladesh in December, Prosecutor Tamim noted that fugitives often attempt to gain legal relief by claiming they were unaware of proceedings, thereby requesting a condonation of delay. However, he emphasized that the prosecution would present evidence of the defendants’ public statements and media interactions to prove they were fully informed of the case, thereby disqualifying them from seeking such legal leniency.
Regarding the potential extradition of the former Prime Minister, Tamim stated that existing legal frameworks between Bangladesh and India facilitate the return of individuals facing arrest warrants or convictions. He maintained that under the prevailing extradition treaty, India is legally obligated to return fugitives, and there is no room for the invocation of external conditions to block such a transfer.
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