Dhaka again asks Delhi for Hasina’s extradition

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday disclosed the fresh diplomatic communication with New Delhi but did not elaborate further.

A diplomatic source in New Delhi told UNB that the diplomatic note (note verbale) was sent to New Delhi soon after National Security Adviser (NSA) and High Representative for the Rohingya Issue Dr Khalilur Rahman’s returns home from New Delhi.

Dr Rahman attended the 7th meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) in New Delhi on November 20 at the invitation of Indian NSA Ajit Doval.

On November 17, the ICT sentenced Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death in a case filed over crimes against humanity committed during last year’s July-August mass uprising. Former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who testified as a state witness in the case, was sentenced to five years in prison.

After the verdict, Bangladesh urged the government of India to immediately hand over former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, both convicted already, to its authorities.

“I understand they need to be brought back. We will let India know our position officially. Certainly, an official letter will be sent,” Foreign Affairs Adviser Hossain told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 17.

Acknowledging that India did not reply to Bangladesh’s extradition request for Hasina, Hossain said the situation is different now as the trial is completed and they are punished.

"This is also an obligation for India under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

"It would be a grave act of unfriendly conduct and a travesty of justice for any other country to grant shelter to these individuals convicted of crimes against humanity," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its statement.

Meanwhile, India said it noted the verdict announced by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh concerning Hasina and said they will always engage constructively with all stakeholders.

“As a close neighbour, India remains committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country,” said India’s Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.

The India ministry said they will always engage constructively with all stakeholders to that end.

President of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) Maj Gen (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman on Saturday said India, as a friendly neighbour, should respect Bangladesh’s legal systems and return former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh.

"If India respects international norms and rules, and international order, then India as a friendly neighbour, should respect Bangladesh’s legal systems," he said while responding to a question during a session at the Bay of Bengal Conversation in Dhaka.

Muniruzzaman said Hasina's trial has gone through all international standards legal systems under which she was convicted.  "And that's a legal system that should be respected by all our neighbours," he added.

If that respect is there, Muniruzzaman said, by all accounts she should be returned to Bangladesh.

The security analyst said Bangladesh and India have an extradition treaty and India is almost legally bound to send Hasina back to Bangladesh under the treaty.

He wanted to know what would be India's reaction if Bangladesh was housing a number of Indians and did not return them after a request made by New Delhi to Dhaka, reports UNB. 

If that is the case, Muniruzzaman said, anybody convinced under Bangladesh's law by international standards, India is legally bound to send him or her bank to Bangladesh.  "And by all those accounts, we demand that New Delhi sends her (Hasina) back to Bangladesh," he said.