Dhaka court issues warrant for Hasina

DHAKA: A Dhaka court on Sunday issued an arrest warrant for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is wanted on a murder charge, ahead of any possible attempt by her to return to Bangladesh.

The court termed Hasina, who also faces charges of extortion, an “absconder” and ordered police to confiscate her property if she did not surrender by May 28, court officials said.

The Awami League chief is in London and has vowed to try to board a flight to Bangladesh on Sunday in defiance of an order by the army-backed government to stay away. Authorities say her homecoming could trigger more violence. “Her intention has always been to return and fight these charges and clear her name,” Radwan Siddiq, Hasina’s nephew, said.

Hasina was refused permission to board a British Airways flight to Dhaka last week. The Bangladesh government has asked airlines, immigration officials and security forces to block her return.

The arrest warrant order arose from a case filed by a Jamaat-e-Islami official over street battles on Oct. 28 that killed several people. Separately, supporters of Begum Khaleda Zia, another former prime minister, filed a writ petition in a Dhaka court challenging her apparent confinement at home. Bitter rivals Hasina and Khaleda have been hounded by the interim authority in a crackdown on corruption that has so far netted more than 160 senior politicians.

Khaleda’s close associates have said authorities want her to go into exile in Saudi Arabia. But a close associate said she was unlikely to leave the country until the writ petition was disposed.

The High Court bench on Sunday asked the interim government to explain in the next five days why Khaleda’s apparent confinement should not be declared illegal. “Naturally she will wait for the court’s decision. Besides, she is indisposed and resting at home,” said the associate.

Khaleda ended her five-year tenure as prime minister in October, replaced by the army-backed authority that says it is determined to clean up politics ahead of a promised but as yet unscheduled parliamentary election.

An election had been planned for January but was called off by the interim administration as followers of Khaleda and Hasina fought street battles for weeks, killing at least 45 people and injuring hundreds.