Bangladesh police arrest Hasina-era former parliament speaker

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

DHAKA: Bangladesh police have arrested Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, the former Speaker of Parliament during the Sheikh Hasina administration, as part of a widening crackdown on officials from the ousted regime. 

Captured in Dhaka on Tuesday, Chaudhury served as the first female Speaker of Bangladesh for over a decade before the government collapsed following mass student-led protests.

The arrest is linked to several criminal cases, including allegations of ‘crimes against humanity’ and the suppression of protesters during the July-August 2024 uprising. Since the interim government took power, dozens of high-ranking Awami League leaders, former ministers, and security officials have been detained on similar charges of corruption and state-sponsored violence.

Chaudhury’s detention marks a significant escalation in the legal pursuit of the previous political establishment. While she had remained largely out of the public eye since the regime's fall, her arrest signals the interim administration's commitment to holding even the highest-ranking constitutional office holders accountable for their roles in the previous decade of governance.

The former Speaker’s legal team has labeled the move as politically motivated, while human rights groups continue to monitor the fairness of the rapid-fire arrests across the country.

 As the investigation proceeds, she remains in police custody pending a formal hearing to determine the specific charges brought by the transitional justice department.