Former Bangladesh PM Hasina demands probe into July 'killings and vandalism'

14/8/2024 12:05

        Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina called on Tuesday for action against those involved in "killings and vandalism" in the country last month, her first comments since violent protests forced her to flee to India.
        
        Around 300 people died in the demonstrations that began as protests against employment quotas but spiralled into a movement seeking Hasina's overthrow.
        
        Hasina's statement, issued on X through her son, came hours after a court ordered a probe into her role in the death of a grocery shop owner during the protests.
        
        Hasina said, many people died "in the name of revolution" in July,.
        
        Police said on Tuesday, other members of her government also face criminal action, with former law minister Anisul Huq and Hasina's adviser Salman F Rahman arrested for allegedly "instigating" the murder of two people.
        
        The case against Hasina - the first following the protests - was filed by Amir Hamza and accepted by Dhaka's chief metropolitan magistrate's court after a hearing, Hamza's lawyer Anwarul Islam said, adding that police have been ordered to investigate.