Dhaka made a formal request on Monday to extradite former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh in August, Bangladesh’s de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain said.
Since leaving the nation on August 5 in the wake of the student-led demonstrations that overthrew her 16-year rule, Hasina, 77, has been living in exile in India. Hasina and a number of previous Cabinet members, advisors, and military and civil officials have been the subject of arrest warrants for “crimes against humanity and genocide” from the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka.
Foreign Affairs Adviser or de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain told reporters at his office, “We have sent a note verbale (diplomatic message) to the Indian government saying that Bangladesh wants her back here for the judicial process”.
In order to expedite the expelled premier’s extradition from India, Home Advisor Jahangir Alam announced earlier in the morning that his office had written to the foreign ministry.
He told reporters in response to a query, “We have sent a letter to the foreign ministry regarding her extradition. The process is currently underway”.
According to Alam, Hasina might be returned to Bangladesh in accordance with an extradition agreement that already exists between Dhaka and New Delhi.
‘Fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina’
During a speech to the nation last month marking the 100th day of the interim government, Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus declared that the country would pursue Hasina’s extradition.
He added, “We must ensure justice in every killing… We will also ask India to send back fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina”.
Approximately 1,500 people, mainly workers and students, were killed and 19,931 others were injured during the demonstration against the Hasina government, according to Yunus, who took office on August 8.
According to reports in October, Bangladesh would vehemently object if India attempted to deny Hasina’s extradition by pointing to any clause in the treaty, according to Law Advisor Asif Nazrul.
During a September interview with PTI in Dhaka, Yunus claimed that Hasina’s political statements from India were a “unfriendly gesture” and that she should keep quiet to avoid upsetting any country until Dhaka asked for her extradition.
“If India wants to keep her until the time Bangladesh (government) wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet,” he stated.
In recent weeks, Hasina has accused the Yunus-led interim government of perpetrating “genocide” and failing to protect minorities, especially Hindus, since her ouster.
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