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- ‘Would Be Embarrassing For India…’: Bangladesh May Seek Hasina’s Extradition, Says Foreign Advisor
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had fled to India on August 5, following a student uprising which metamorphosed into a full-blown anti-regime protest that led to the fall of her Awami League government.
Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024 following the fall of her Awami League dispensation. (Reuters Photo)
Bangladesh’s interim government could consider seeking the extradition of deposed ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who faces a mountain of cases, from India but that would create an “embarrassing situation for the Indian government”, the country’s foreign affairs advisor Mohammed Touhid Hossain has said.
In an interview with Reuters TV, Hossain said the Bangladesh interim government would ask Sheikh Hasina to return to the country and face trial in the cases against her.
“Bangladesh’s home and law could make the request to extradite Sheikh Hasina from India since there are so many cases against her but and that could create an embarrassing situation for the Indian government,” he said.
“Her staying in Delhi, in India, the question comes is…there are so many cases (against Hasina) that could be… again some speculating, I am not the person right to answer this, if there is a request from there (Ministry of Home and Ministry of Law) we have to ask for her, you know, return to Bangladesh. If there is a demand from there, that creates an embarrassing situation for the Indian government. So I think the Indian government knows this and I am sure they will take care of it”, Reuters TV quoted Hossain as saying.
Yunus ‘unhappy’ with Hasina’s statements from India
Hossain, who serves as the foreign affairs advisor in Bangladesh’s interim government led by Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus also said the chief advisor is “very unhappy” about the way the statements are coming from India from the former Prime Minister and he had conveyed this to the Indian envoy in a meeting.
“Professor Yunus is very unhappy about the way the statements are coming from India, from the former Prime Minister. He is quite unhappy about this and I have conveyed this to the High Commissioner (of India),” he said.
“I have also told the press that we have conveyed this because we believe in transparent relations. So whatever actually is there, unless there are some, there are some secret points could be there. Otherwise, we want to make things public. And we have – I have just told him about the displeasure of the chief adviser, and let us hope that they take care of it,” he told Reuters TV.
Election timeline to be decided in September
Asked about the possibility of holding elections in the turmoil-hit country, Hossain said there will be more clarity on the timeline by September.
“All my colleagues in the council of advisors, they are extremely busy with bringing back normalcy”, he said adding, “I think from September, things will, normalcy and normal way of functioning will start.”
‘Can’t give refuge to Rohingyas, India can take them’
On the issue of giving refuge to Rohingyas, Hossain underscored that Bangladesh has “done more than its share” and is “not in a position to allow any more Rohingyas to enter”, asserting that other countries, including India should “take charge on that.”
“We are not in a position to allow any more Rohingyas to enter. It’s a humanitarian issue that involves the entire world, not only Bangladesh. We have done more than our share, and the world should take charge of that,” Hossein said.
Other countries “should put pressure through appropriate countries on the Arakan Army, who is the main actor in Rakhine state now to ensure that this does not happen, because we are not in a position,” Hossain told Reuters TV.
“Well, India is a very large country, if they want to take some, it’s fine. We have taken a million, let them take 200,000, I don’t mind. But the goal is their repatriation to their country,” Hossain said.
ICJ complaint against Hasina for HR violations
Sheikh Hasina had fled to India on August 5, following a student uprising which metamorphosed into a full-blown anti-regime protest that led to the fall of her Awami League government.
A report by the Dhaka tribune said a a complaint has been lodged against Hasina and 24 others in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands for gross human rights violations.
The Bangladeshi media outlet said that there are multiple cases filed against Sheikh Hasina, adding that the country’s interim government has cancelled the passports of the former PM, her advisers, former cabinet members, and all members of the 12th national parliament.
The Bangladesh authorities have also revoked diplomatic passports for their spouses and children have also been revoked with immediate effect, the report said..
Over 600 killed in anti-Hasina protests
Over 230 people were killed in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government, taking the official death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students first started in mid-July.
The protests, which started off against as a demonstration against a controversial quota system in government jobs, morphed into full-blown protests against the Hasina regime following a brutal crackdown against student protesters by the police and armed forces.
The protests ultimately forced Sheikh Hasina to step down and flee to India on August 5, following which an interim government was formed in Bangladesh, with 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as its Chief Adviser.
(With inputs from agencies)
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