Sheikh Hasina Calls Supporters to Public Show

Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called on her supporters to demonstrate strength following a court ruling allowing a murder investigation against her related to recent unrest that led to her removal. Hasina, who fled to India amid protests that resulted in over 450 deaths, issued her appeal as Thursday marks the anniversary of her father's assassination, a day her government had previously declared as a national holiday. In a statement, she urged supporters to observe this day with respect and to pray at her childhood home, which was vandalized after her fall. Additionally, she demanded a thorough investigation into the violence that forced her out, pointing to police as responsible for many of the casualties. This statement is her first public communication since resigning and comes amidst a politically charged atmosphere as the caretaker government canceled the observance of the holiday. A murder probe has been opened against Hasina and several others, accusing them of complicity in the death of a grocery store owner during the protests.