A special court in Bangladesh He told investigators on Monday they had a month to complete their work on the ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her close aides facing charges of crimes against humanity after hundreds of people were killed in a mass uprising this summer.

Golam Mortuza Majumdar, the chief judge of the three-member International Criminal Court, set December 17 for investigators to finish their work, while the court heard updates from police on Monday about what the country’s security agencies have been doing to arrest Hasina and her close aides. .

The decision came after prosecutors asked for more time for the investigation.

Hasina lived in exile in India since August 5 when he fled the country amid student-led protests. On October 17, the International Criminal Tribunal in Dhaka issued arrest warrants for Hasina and 45 others, including former cabinet ministers, advisers, and military and civilian officials. The country is now ruled by a interim government led by the Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus.

At least 13 people, including a former law minister and a businessman who was Hasina’s private sector adviser, appeared before the court on Monday, said BM Sultan Mahmud, a court prosecutor. A former Cabinet minister was not brought to court because he was in custody for police questioning in a separate case. Six more people will appear on Wednesday, court officials said. At least 20 suspects have been arrested in the case.

The court will also seek updates from the police on their progress in arresting the other suspects, including Hasina.

The court’s chief prosecutor has already sought help from Interpol through the country’s police chief to arrest Hasina. On Sunday, Yunus said in an address to the nation that his administration would seek Hasina’s extradition from India.

Authorities say hundreds of people were killed during the uprising in July and August, mostly by security forces trying to quell initial protests against government jobs. The violence escalated as the protests turned into a bloodier anti-government movement, ending Hasina’s 15-year rule. Hasina also earlier called for an inquiry into the killings.

(AP)