A petition has been filed in the International Criminal Tribunal requesting an investigation into allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Awami League General Secretary and former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and several other prominent figures within the Awami League.
The party itself, along with its affiliated organizations, is also named in the petition.
The petition was submitted on Wednesday by Bulbul Kabir, the father of Arif Ahmed Siam, a Class IX student who was killed during the anti-discrimination student movement.
Kabir’s application accuses Hasina and others of orchestrating a violent crackdown on student protestors, resulting in widespread casualties and human rights violations.
Key allegations
According to the petition, Hasina made provocative statements during a press conference that allegedly incited violence against student protestors.
It is claimed that she, along with other minsters and leaders, instructed law enforcement and party activists to “completely or partially eliminate” the students involved in the protests.
The petition details a series of coordinated attacks across the country, carried out by members of the Awami League, its youth wing Jubo League, student wing Chhatra League, and law enforcement agencies.
Enforced disappearance case filed against HasinaEnforced disappearance case filed against HasinaThese attacks, which reportedly involved firearms and indigenous weapons, led to the deaths of at least 439 students between July 15 and August 5.
One specific case highlighted in the petition is that of Siam, who was injured in police firing during a protest in Savar on August 5 and succumbed to his injuries on August 7.
In addition to the fatalities, the petition alleges that approximately 450,000 protesting students were wrongfully implicated in 286 criminal cases nationwide, leading to the arrest and severe mistreatment of around 12,000 individuals.
The petition asserts that these actions constitute genocide and crimes against humanity as defined under international law.
Individuals named in the petition
The petition lists several other high-ranking officials and former government ministers as defendants, including:
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, former state minister for Posts, Telecommunications and IT
Mohammad Ali Arafat, former state minister for Information and Broadcasting
Abdullah Al Mamun, former inspector general of Police (IGP)
Harunor Rashid, former chief of the Detective Branch (DB)
Habibur Rahman, former commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)
Harun-Ar-Rashid, former director general of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)
The application also calls for legal action against the Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League, and other affiliated organizations.
The tribunal’s investigation agency has been requested to thoroughly examine the allegations and take appropriate legal action against the accused.
