Dhaka, Nov 23: Bangladesh’s interim government of Muhammad Yunus has sent an “official letter” to New Delhi seeking the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina after the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) sentenced her to death.
“The letter was sent the day before yesterday (Friday),” the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported, quoting foreign affairs adviser Touhid Hossain as saying without elaboration.
The special Bangladeshi tribunal on November 17 handed Hasina, 78, the capital punishment along with then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on charges of committing “crimes against humanity” after their trial in absentia while both are staying in India.
The third accused in the case, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, who faced the trial in person was handed a five-year jail term as he appeared as an “approver” or state witness.
Hasina’s Awami League government was toppled in a student-led violent protest termed as the ‘July Uprising’ on August 5 last year.
Three days later, Nobel Laureate Yunus flew from Paris at the call of the protesting students to assume the charge of the interim government as its chief adviser.
Hasina and the two others were accused of adopting brutal means to tame the protestors while a UN rights office report said about 1,400 people were killed in between July 15 and August 15 last year.
The interim government had in December last year sent a diplomatic note verbal seeking Hasina’s extradition when India just acknowledged its receipt with no further comment.
However, hours after the ICT-BD verdict was delivered last week, the External Affairs Ministry issued a statement saying “India has noted the verdict announced by the ‘International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh’ concerning former prime minister Sheikh Hasina”.
“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. We will always engage constructively with all stakeholders to that end,” the statement read.
Law adviser Asif Nazrul on November 20 said the interim government would send a letter to Delhi to return Hasina and her home minister adding that the government was also thinking about going to the International Criminal Court to bring them back as they were now “fugitive convicts”.
“We will hold a meeting soon to decide whether we can approach the International Criminal Court regarding the return of these convicted individuals,” Nazrul told reporters.
Three days later, he reiterated the plan saying “we are going to issue a letter requesting the extradition of Hasina and Kamal and added “we believe India has an added responsibility to return them”. (PTI)
