Govt to soon request India to extradite Hasina: Law adviser
As per the extradition treaty, if any convicted person stays in India, we can seek his or her extradition, he says
The interim government will soon ask India to extradite former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Law, Justice and Parliament Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul said today (19 September).
"We will soon request India to extradite Sheikh Hasina so that she can face trial at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for her alleged involvement in genocide during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement," the adviser said at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy auditorium.
"We have an extradition treaty with India. As per the extradition treaty, if any convicted person stays in India, we can seek his or her extradition. We will soon let you know through the law ministry," he added.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The adviser stressed that they will definitely seek extradition of convicted persons once trial begins no matter who the person is.
Sheikh Hasina, who left the country on 5 August, is facing a number of cases.
The adviser said they have taken some steps and there are some visible progress including formation of investigation and prosecution teams.
SHUJAN-Citizens for Good Governance Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar and Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Mahfuj Alam also spoke at the briefing.
"Our key focus is to work. It's a public service. We don't want repetition of what happened in the past," said Badiul Alam, head of the Election Commission Reforms Commission.
Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, Deputy Press Secretaries Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Apurba Jahangir were present.
Earlier, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said that the Indian government has given shelter to Sheikh Hasina and she has been staying there.
"We will have to see this matter this way," he said, adding that everything "does not go by the law."
The adviser made this remark on September 7 while responding to a question on Hasina's status in India as her diplomatic passport has been cancelled.
He said Bangladesh has not learnt anything officially from the Indian side except what the country's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said after her entry in India.
It has been over a month since Sheikh Hasina hurriedly landed at a military base near Delhi after a chaotic exit from Bangladesh.
Hasina's dramatic departure on August 5 followed weeks of student-led protests which spiraled into deadly, nationwide unrest.
She was initially expected to stay in India for just a short period, but reports say her attempts to seek asylum in the UK, the US and the UAE have not been successful so far, according to the BBC.
