Touhid Hossain, Foreign Affairs Advisor in Bangladesh’s interim government, has sent a note verbale asking the Indian government to extradite Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh for ‘judicial process.’ Home Advisor of Bangladesh, Jahangir Alam, earlier confirmed that a diplomatic note had been sent to the Foreign Ministry of India.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka had issued arrest warrants for ousted ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and several of her former ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials. Although Delhi has confirmed the receiving of the diplomatic note by the Bangladesh High Commission regarding the extradition request, but has refused to make any comments on the matter for now.
Sheikh Hasina accused of crimes against humanity and genocide
Sheikh Hasina, aged 77 years, the ex-PM, fled Bangladesh by helicopter on August 5, 2024; she has been living in exile in New Delhi. Since her deposition, multiple criminal charges have been filed against her and her associates, which include allegations of murder, torture, abduction, genocide, and crimes against humanity. Bangladesh is expecting her to return to face these charges.
Bangladesh’s anti-corruption commission said that it has launched investigations for embezzlement worth $5 billion by Sheikh Hasina and her family members in connection with a Russian-backed nuclear power plant. The allegations also include theft, from a government scheme that was meant for protecting homeless people. People of Bangladesh are furious with her actions, and they are all demanding that she faces trial for alleged “mass murder.”.
Extradition decisive for bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor, Muhammad Yunus, said that Bangladesh wishes to ensure justice for every killing that took place and is asking India to return the fallen autocrat. During the protests against Sheikh Hasina’s government, 1,500 innocent lives were lost, which included students and workers, while 19,931 were severely wounded. Sheikh Hasina at present is involved in 42 murder cases. The extradition treaty states that while extradition can be refused if the offense for which it is requested is of a political nature, certain offenses, such as murder, shall not be considered as offenses of a political nature. While another ground for refusal of the extradition is also if the charges pressed have not been made in good faith or in the interest of justice.
India is at the risk of spoiling its diplomatic and geopolitical relationship with its neighbor Bangladesh if it refuses to agree with this extradition treaty. The extradition treaty was signed between India and Bangladesh in 2013 and was further amended in 2016 for addressing the issue of insurgency and terrorism along the shared borders of the two nations. The amendment eliminates the need for evidence and only requires an arrest warrant from a competent court in the country that has made the request.
