Bangladesh‘s interim government revoked the passports of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 96 others for their involvement in enforced disappearances and killings in July.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, the Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary, Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, stated, “The Passports Department has cancelled the passports of 22 individuals involved in enforced disappearances, while passports of 75 others, including Sheikh Hasina, were revoked due to their involvement in the July killings.”
Hasina, 77, has been in India since August 5, last year, when she fled Bangladesh following a large-scale student-led protest that brought down her Awami League’s (AL) 16-year government.
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina, as well as numerous former Cabinet ministers, advisers, military and civil officials, on charges of “crimes against humanity and genocide”.
Meanwhile, Majumder refused to reveal the identities of the other persons whose passports had been cancelled, according to the state-run BSS news agency.