Dhaka to send reminder to Delhi for Hasina’s extradition

ISLAMABAD: Dhaka will send a reminder letter to New Delhi for extradition of ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina if the Indian government does not respond to the diplomatic note sent a day earlier.

“So far, we have not received any reply from New Delhi in an official channel. We will wait for their response; if no reply comes within a certain period, we will send a reminder letter,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Rafiqul Alam said Tuesday.

On Monday, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, through its mission in New Delhi, sent a diplomatic note requesting the Indian government to extradite Sheikh Hasina for judicial proceedings in Bangladesh.

Responding to questions, the spokesperson said Dhaka’s next steps to bring Hasina back will depend on India’s reply.

“We do not want to comment on it now or speculate about the situation,” Rafiqul said without identifying any specific timeline for the waiting period.

The Indian media outlets reported Monday evening that the country’s Ministry of External Affairs had received Bangladesh’s diplomatic note regarding the extradition request. However, the Indian ministry refrained from making any official comments to this end.

Sheikh Hasina is accused in over 100 cases and faces a wide range of charges, including murder, mass killings and crimes against humanity during the July uprising that led to her fleeing to India on August 5.

Bangladesh and India signed an extradition treaty in 2013, which was later amended in 2016, providing a legal framework for such requests.

Meanwhile, Press Secretary to the BD Chief Advisor said Tuesday that investigating the corruption of Sheikh Hasina and her family was the top priority for the interim government. In response to a question, Shafiqul Alam said, “Our work regarding Sheikh Hasina’s corruption has already begun. More detailed actions will follow and you will be informed. This is our top priority.” When asked how much information the government has gathered about the Sheikh Hasina family’s corruption, Shafiqul replied: “A summary report from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) regarding Sheikh Hasina has been provided to the media.” The press secretary said Sheikh Hasina established a “kleptocracy” during her tenure.

“The people of Bangladesh deserve to know who were involved in this grand theft. It is our moral responsibility to inform them. You will certainly learn the extent of her theft soon,” he said. “The white paper indicates that $16 billion was siphoned off every year. This is the money of the Bangladeshi people.”

He also emphasized the severity of the bank-related fraud, saying, “The scale of the robbery is evident. We are conducting an in-depth investigation. The theft and plundering that took place during her time will be fully uncovered.”

He referred to an earlier report that mentioned a transaction of Tk628 crore, which was initially cited as Tk400 crore in the media.

When asked about the potential return of Sheikh Hasina to face justice, Shafiqul stated, “From our side, the legal process is being expedited. If we are to uphold the rule of law, she must be given the due time in accordance with the law. There are limits to how quickly actions can be taken under the existing legal system in Bangladesh.” He said, “We are working as swiftly as possible within these boundaries. We continue to call for Sheikh Hasina’s return, and the foreign affairs advisor has spoken on this. We hope her return will happen as soon as possible. Sheikh Hasina will face justice,” he said “We have seen the severity of Sheikh Hasina’s crimes. The scale of criminal activities in Bangladesh over the past 15 years is unimaginable. The entire world is waking up to the realization of her crimes. Nearly 3,000 people have been victims of enforced disappearances and thousands more have been killed extrajudicially. Approximately 1,500 people died in July and August alone.”