https://apnews.com/article/bangladesh-sheikh-hasina-interpol-arrest-5e996c959cc676bbdb10a651e77b0ad5
In August of this year, a popular revolt successfully forced the resignation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina has been ruling Bangladesh since 2009 and, since then, has propagated multiple harsh repressions of protests. In July of 2024, the most deadly and extreme repression took place. A student-led protest was taking place; in some areas, it turned violent. This led to the Bangladeshi military getting involved and killing over 3,000 protesters. They used excessive force and, in some cases, fired on peaceful student protesters. PM Sheikh Hasina has also been involved in many controversies throughout her reign. These events include Election Manipulation, Suppression of Opposition and Media, Extrajudicial Arrests and Disappearances, Money Laundering, and Allegations of Corruption in Infrastructure Projects. In July 2024, the population had enough, and a popular revolt occurred, forcing PM Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country. Since Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, the country has been led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus. On November 12th, Muhammad Yunus announced that he had requested the help of Interpol, an international law enforcement organization, to find Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in hiding in India, and bring her back to Bangladesh to be put on trial for her countless crimes over the years.
This request to Interpol from the Bangladeshi Interim government shows their determination to maintain their promise to the Bangladeshi people. That promise is to track down Sheikh Hasina and not let her crimes go unpunished. This development provides a bright future for Bangladesh. The Tribunal led by Muhammad Yunus has promised to hold elections following election reforms. The nomination of Muhammad Yunus as the nation’s de facto leader is an ingenious move. Muhammad Yunus is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and has already begun the process of establishing a new Bangladeshi Constitution and holding elections sometime in 2025. Interpol’s involvement in the situation also highlights the fact that the new Bangladeshi government has global support and that Sheikh Hasina is considered a criminal even on a worldwide scale. This fact gives the Bangladeshi government a monumental amount of legitimacy and hopefully allows them to maintain stability in the tumultuous months ahead. Interpol has already begun the investigation to find out where Sheikh Hasina is located. The Bangladeshi interim government has also requested the involvement of the International Criminal Court (ICC). If the ICC gets involved, then that would pull the global spotlight to Bangladesh and would allow Sheikh Hasina to be charged with Crimes Against Humanity.
This event is connected to what we are learning in class due to the involvement of NGOs in the affairs of states. Another way these series of events can be connected to our class is the idea of Realist Theory. These events demonstrate realist theory by showing how important it is for newly formed governments to achieve a sense of legitimacy. If Bangladesh fails to try Sheikh Hasina, then she could gather support from outside of Bangladesh, and it could lead to the crushing of this newborn hope.