Staff Reporter:
A Dhaka court on Thursday ordered a ban on the departure of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 286 others who were charge-sheeted in a case filed for participating in anti-state activities and plotting to overthrow the interim government.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam passed the order upon a petition of the investigation officer of the case, Assistant Superintendent of Police of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Md Enamul Haque.
The court at the same time asked the investigation officer to submit a report regarding the arrest of the fugitive accused in the case on 9 October as the investigation agency missed the deadline slated for Thursday.
Apart from Sheikh Hasina, US Awami League chapter Vice President Dr Rabbi Alam, Joybangla Brigade member Kabirul Islam, Advocate Kamrul Islam, Elahi Newaz Masum, Zakir Hossain Jiqu, Professor Taheruzzaman, AKM Akhtaruzzaman, Awami League leader Sabina Yasmin, Azida Parveen Pakhi, Shaheen, Advocate AFM Didarul Islam, Maksudur Rahman, former lawmaker Syed Rubina Akhter, former lawmaker Pankaj Debnath, Laila Banu, Chhatra League Central Committee President Saddam Hossain, Ritu Akhter, Nurunnabi Nibir, Sabina Begum and Shariful Islam Ramzan have also been charge-sheeted in the case.
According to the case details, a number of people expressed their determination to form the “Joy Bangla Brigade” and fight until their last breath to help Sheikh Hasina be prime minister against a civil war by participating in an online meeting on 19 December last year.
A total of 577 people participated in the Zoom meeting from different places in the country and abroad and expressed their unanimous opinion to follow all the instructions of Sheikh Hasina.
In the voice recording of the conversation between former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the host, co-host and participating leaders and activists (Vice President of the US chapter Awami League Dr. Rabbi Alam hosted the meeting), the participants from the country and abroad discussed that they would not allow the government to run the country peacefully.
The meeting has clear elements of the crime of treason by declaring a civil war to overthrow the current government through an online platform meeting.
So, CID Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Enamul Haque filed the case before the court on 27 March 2025, with the approval of the home ministry, against Sheikh Hasina and 73 others on charges of treason.
After investigating into the case, the investigation officer of the CID filed a charge sheet against Sheikh Hasina and 286 others in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam.
The court accepted the charge sheet and issued arrest warrants against all the accused.
