Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina faces new murder charges amid political unrest

Dhaka, Bangladesh — At least four new murder cases have been filed against Bangladesh's deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her former cabinet ministers and aides, deepening the former leader's legal woes amid ongoing political turmoil. The cases, which came to light on Sunday, involve serious allegations related to incidents dating back over a decade.

The latest case was filed against 76-year-old Hasina, former Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) director general General Aziz Ahmed and 11 others over the 2010 death of Abdur Rahim, a deputy assistant director of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR). Rahim was accused in a case related to the 2010 Pilkhana massacre and died in custody on July 29 that year. The case was filed by Rahim's son, lawyer Abdul Aziz, in the court of Dhaka City Judge Md Akteruzzaman.

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In addition, a murder case has been filed against Hasina and 48 others over the death of a student of the Military Institute of Science and Technology during the anti-discrimination movement for students on July 18. The complaint, filed by the victim Shaikh Ashabul Yeamin's uncle Abdullah-Al Kabir, was submitted to the court of Dhaka Chief Magistrate Md Saiful Islam. The court accepted the petition and directed the police to register the complaint as a First Information Report (FIR).

To complicate matters further, a separate case has been filed against Hasina and 27 others over the death of a vendor affiliated with the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh during the recent protests in Dhaka. The victim's brother-in-law, Mamunur Rashid, filed the case with Dhaka City Magistrate Saddam Hossain. In another similar case involving the death of an autorickshaw driver during the protests, Hasina is also among the 25 accused.

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Prominent figures accused alongside Hasina include Awami League general secretary and former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former ministers Anisul Huq and Tajul Islam.

Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the Awami League, is currently facing at least 53 trials, including 44 for murder, seven for crimes against humanity and genocide, one for kidnapping and one for an attack on a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) procession.

Following unprecedented anti-government student protests against a controversial job quota system, Hasina resigned on August 5 and fled to India. The government led by Hasina was replaced by an interim government whose chief adviser was 84-year-old Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. The political unrest has led to significant violence across Bangladesh. Over 230 people have been killed since Hasina's government was overthrown, bringing the total number of deaths since the protests began in mid-July to over 600.