Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Calls for Investigation Amidst Unrest in Bangladesh

In a recent statement from her self-imposed exile in India, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has demanded an investigation into the deaths of hundreds of individuals, including students, during violent protests that led to her ouster earlier this month. The protests, which began in July over a controversial government job quota system, escalated into a nationwide movement against Hasina's administration, resulting in over 300 fatalities, many attributed to police violence. Hasina, who fled the country on August 5, is now facing a murder investigation related to the police shooting of a grocery store owner during the unrest. Hasina's call for justice comes as the interim government has initiated a murder investigation against her and several high-ranking officials, including former ministers and police leaders. The case was filed by Amir Hamza, a businessman who claims the family of the deceased, Abu Sayeed, could not afford legal action. This marks the first legal challenge against Hasina since her resignation, as she faces accusations of orchestrating a violent crackdown on protests that began as peaceful demonstrations against the quota system. The protests culminated in widespread chaos, with demonstrators storming Hasina's residence and vandalizing a museum dedicated to her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh. In her statement, Hasina lamented the violence and called for accountability, while also recalling the historical assassination of her family during a military coup in 1975. The interim government, now led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has dissolved parliament and is preparing for elections within 90 days.