Sheikh Hasina's Speeches Banned by Tribunal in Bangladesh
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Dhaka, Dec 5 (NationPress) On Thursday, a domestic war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh labeled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent statements as "hate speech" and mandated their removal from all social media platforms immediately.
This week, during a virtual address at an Awami League event in New York, Hasina criticized the Chief Advisor of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, for allegedly targeting Hindu temples, including ISKCON sites, and other religious minority places in Bangladesh.
"I am being accused of mass killings, but it is Muhammad Yunus who orchestrates mass killings through a calculated scheme along with his student coordinators. They are the true masterminds," she claimed during her viral speech.
Local media reported that Golam Monawar Hossain Tamim, a prosecutor from the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT-BD), stated that the leaked speeches and phone calls of Hasina could obstruct the ongoing investigations initiated against her by the interim government.
The tribunal, presided over by Justice Md Golam Mortuza, instructed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to ensure the removal of all past and present instances of Hasina's speeches from every platform.
"We will make certain that the tribunal's directive is officially communicated to relevant authorities of international platforms such as Facebook, X, and YouTube," remarked Prosecutor Abdullah Al Noman, who filed a petition requesting a ban on the speeches of the former Prime Minister.
Ironically, the tribunal was set up by the Sheikh Hasina-led government under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act to identify, prosecute, and punish those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other offenses under International Law during the 1971 Liberation War, committed by the Pakistani Army with local collaborators.
Last week, following the arrest and imprisonment of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote and an associate of Iskcon Bangladesh, Hasina condemned the "tortures" imposed on ordinary citizens by the interim government and demanded "immediate release" of the Hindu priest.
"A prominent leader of the Sanatan religious community has been wrongfully detained; he must be released without delay," Hasina stated.
The president of the Bangladesh Awami League (AL) and daughter of the "Father of the Nation", Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, also brought attention to the numerous incidents of persecution against minority communities reported from 52 districts in Bangladesh since her resignation on August 5 this year.
"A temple has been set ablaze in Chittagong. Previously, mosques, shrines, churches, monasteries, and the homes of the Ahmadiyya community have faced attacks, vandalism, and arson. The religious freedom and safety of all communities must be guaranteed," she declared.
"In the aftermath of countless Awami League leaders, workers, students, and law enforcement members being killed, harassment continues through assaults and arrests. I vehemently condemn and protest against these anarchic actions," Hasina concluded.
