Mumbai: In a significant escalation of diplomatic pressure, Bangladesh’s interim government has sent a fresh communication to New Delhi seeking the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, days after she was handed a death sentence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). The tribunal ruled against Hasina in a case involving alleged crimes against humanity linked to the violent civil unrest that unfolded between July and August last year.
According to a detailed report carried by the Dhaka Tribune, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka has dispatched a new “note verbale” to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs shortly after High Representative for the Rohingya Issue, Khalilur Rahman, returned from a multilateral engagement in the Indian capital. Rahman was in New Delhi to attend the 7th National Security Advisers’ meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave, after which Dhaka reportedly intensified efforts to push for Hasina’s return.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain confirmed to journalists on Sunday that Bangladesh has formally reached out to India once again on the extradition matter. He declined to share specifics but indicated that the communication reflected Dhaka’s updated stance following the court verdict.
The ICT’s ruling earlier this week sentenced Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death. Additionally, former police chief and state witness Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was awarded a five-year prison term.
In its latest diplomatic note, Bangladesh has urged India to “immediately hand over” both Hasina and Kamal, reiterating that the obligations of the bilateral extradition treaty leave little room for delay. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that offering refuge to individuals convicted of crimes against humanity would constitute “a grave act of unfriendly conduct” and undermine justice.
