Dhaka: The Bangladesh government has welcomed the recent announcement by deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regarding her potential return to the country. Responding to the development, Zahed Ur Rahman, the Information and Strategy Adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, stated that her return is necessary to ensure justice. During a media briefing on Tuesday, the adviser asserted that Hasina must face the legal consequences of her actions as a death penalty convict.
The 78 year old Awami League leader fled to India on August 5, 2024, following massive student led protests that culminated in the fall of her government. In November last year, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for alleged crimes against humanity connected to the brutal crackdown on the 2024 demonstrations. Since the verdict, the Bangladesh administration has repeatedly urged New Delhi to extradite the former premier to face the law.
Addressing the media, Zahed Ur Rahman boldly challenged Hasina to defend herself legally. He was quoted by the Daily Star saying that she is free to bring the best lawyers in the world to fight the charges. He emphasized that the citizens of Bangladesh want her capital punishment upheld and executed for the massive atrocities committed during her regime. He also added that procedural issues will not debar her return, suggesting that New Delhi can easily make arrangements after consulting Dhaka on the matter.
Reassuring the international community about a fair trial, Rahman stated that proceedings at the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh will remain entirely transparent. Observers will be allowed to monitor the trial, and complete video coverage will be broadcast. Highlighting the independence of the judiciary, the adviser even acknowledged the possibility that the court could revise its verdict or acquit her. He pointed out that several rulings of the tribunal, a body originally formed during the rule of Hasina in 2010, have been stayed or overturned in the past.