A Bangladeshi court has initiated a murder investigation against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and six senior officials from her administration. The case relates to the police killing of a grocery store owner during civil unrest last month.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Court ordered the police to accept the murder case against Hasina and six others, including her former Home Minister and four senior police officers. The accused are alleged to be responsible for the death of the store owner, who was shot dead by police on July 19.
Hasina, 76, fled to neighboring India last week after weeks of protests led to her removal from power. Over 450 people were killed during the unrest. The case was brought by a private citizen, Amir Hamza Shatil, who is a resident of the neighborhood where the shooting occurred.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who is leading a temporary administration, has expressed his intention to hold elections within a few months. The government has stated that it has no plans to ban Hasina’s Awami League party, which played a significant role in the country’s independence movement.
