Bangladesh court bans publication of speeches by ousted Prime Minister Hasina
A special tribunal in Bangladesh has banned the publication of any speeches by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is in exile in India after being ousted in August after mass protests
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A special tribunal in Bangladesh on Thursday banned the publication of any speeches by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is in exile in India after being ousted in August following mass protests.
The decision came a day after Hasina made her first public speech in a virtual address to supporters of her Awami League party in New York. In the speech, she accused Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, of perpetrating genocide and failing to protect minorities, especially Hindus, since her ouster.
The Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal made the decision in response to a request by government prosecutors for a ban on any speeches by Hasina on mainstream or social media, prosecutor Golam Monawar Hossain Tamim said.
Hasina fled to India after being ousted in a mass uprising in July and August in which hundreds of protesters were killed and thousands were injured. She faces many court cases over the deaths, including some on charges of crimes against humanity. The tribunal has already issued arrest warrants for Hasina and her close aides, and the government has sought help from the international police organization Interpol for her arrest.