Govt will try to bring Hasina back if court orders to do so: Foreign adviser

The government will try to bring back ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India if the court orders it, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said today (1 September).

"It is better not to speculate. There are legal processes. If our legal system wants, we will definitely try [to bring her back]," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Asked about the current status of Sheikh Hasina in India, the foreign affairs adviser said it would be better to ask India about it.

After the interim government revoked all diplomatic passports, questions have now arisen as to how long Sheikh Hasina can stay in India and whether she will face a possible extradition.

The approval for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to go to India was granted at short notice, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

Adviser Touhid Hossain said it is up to India whether they will hand her over or not, but noted that there is an agreement regarding extradition. 

He stated that if a legal process raises the question and the laws or court mandate it, the government can seek her back.

Among the SAARC member countries, India has extradition treaties with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. India has an extradition arrangement with Sri Lanka.

On 28 July 2016, Bangladesh and India signed an agreement to amend Article 10 (3) of the bilateral Extradition Treaty to facilitate expeditious extradition of fugitive criminals between the two countries.

Sheikh Hasina is facing more than 100 cases including over murders since the formation of an interim government on 8 August after her resignation on 5 August.

There are scopes to review MoUs with India

The foreign affairs adviser said there are always scopes for reviewing memorandums of understating (MoUs) signed with India in various sectors including the railway to ensure interests.

"MoUs are not legally binding, and there are always scopes for reviewing to ensure interests," he told reporters at his ministry.
He also said MoUs are not agreements and they can see whether Bangladesh's interests are protected.

When asked about the halt in India-funded projects in Bangladesh, Touhid Hossain said, "It's undeniable that after any revolution, some unrest is expected. We experienced some issues with law and order here as well, but we managed to bring them under control. Things are gradually returning to normal, and the Indians will resume their work because we need to complete the ongoing projects."

He said, "I think the Indians are feeling unsafe, but they will overcome this sense of insecurity."