A UK lawyer has filed a complaint against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her cabinet and associated state actors at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, accusing them of crimes against humanity.

Lawyer Dr Asraful Arafin of London-based 3 Bolt Court Chambers filed the case on October 28, calling for an independent inquiry into the alleged atrocities, including extrajudicial targeted killings and systematic torture in secret detention centres.

The allegations also include the Hasina regime’s severe restrictions on freedom of movement and expression through access bans and internet blackouts, as well as coordinated attacks that constitute crimes against humanity under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, according to a press statement sent today by the lawyer.

The complainant also asked the ICC to issue arrest warrants for key suspects in order to prevent continued impunity.

According to the press statement, Bangladesh witnessed a shocking tragedy in July and August 2024. The unprecedented student movement against quotas in public jobs turned into a wider demand for change.

However, the peaceful protests soon faced brutal repression. The then-Bangladesh government responded with excessive and lethal force, deploying the Bangladeshi police, the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and the Chhatra League to suppress dissent, it said.

“These forces indiscriminately used firearms, rubber bullets, stun grenades and lethal weapons such as pellets and live ammunition,” the document said.

The 3 Chambers of the Bolt Court stated that by August 2024, more than 1,400 civilians had been killed and 22,000 had been injured. In addition to the mass casualties, at least 92 people were blinded by gunfire and hundreds suffered life-changing injuries.

To reduce international scrutiny, the government at the time imposed a nationwide internet blackout and restricted all communications, obstructing efforts to document the violence, it added.

“These systematic extrajudicial killings, disappearances and acts of torture, including alleged abuses in secret detention centers like Aynaghar, are crimes against humanity under international law, reflecting a calculated effort to eliminate political opposition and silence.

dissent.”

Asraf Arafin said there are considerable doubts about the ability of Bangladesh’s judiciary to conduct an impartial investigation into these serious crimes, arguing that a large number of law enforcement officers and state officials were appointed during the Hasina administration, raising concerns about the neutrality of any inquiry. .

The current caretaker government is also expected to remain in office until the next parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, after which a new political government could take over, potentially compromising justice for political expediency.

“Furthermore, given that Sheikh Hasina currently resides in India and due to her political connections there, the enforcement of any domestic conviction remains uncertain.

“However, an international arrest warrant could put pressure on India to cooperate with the global community,” the press release said.