No info on Sheikh Hasina’s current whereabouts: Adviser

The interim government has no information about the whereabouts of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, says its foreign affairs adviser Touhid Hossain. 

In a media briefing at the ministry on Tuesday, he told the reporters, “We could not confirm Sheikh Hasina's location. We inquired in Delhi and the UAE, but no one could provide official confirmation."

A journalist asked if the ministry would facilitate travel passes for former ministers, state ministers, lawmakers, and Awami League leaders who fled to India and are now seeking to travel to other countries. 

The adviser clarified that the Bangladesh missions can issue travel passes only for returning home, not for traveling to other countries. A passport is required to travel to other countries.

He also said if those individuals want to return home, travel passes can be issued to facilitate their return. Also, the ministry would seek their extradition if the court wants.  

The adviser disclosed that the Italian embassy in Dhaka has assured them of processing some 20,000 visa applications by December. 

“Many visa applications have been pending for a long time. A total of 20,000 visa cases have already been cleared from Rome, but the progress in granting these visas has been very slow,” he noted, adding he had spoken with the Italian ambassador in this regard. 

The Italian embassy is bringing in two to three more officials and the works would be expedited after their joining, he added. 

Currently, around 40,000 visa applications have been stockpiled at the Italian embassy. A 10-member delegation of the visa applicants met the foreign affairs adviser at the ministry on Tuesday morning, and sought full cooperation from the government in this regard. 

The adviser also said those who want to return from Lebanon, which is now undergoing a war in some of its parts, have been asked to prepare a list. They have been advised to move a little north, away from the war zone. 

“We have requested the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to arrange flights so that they can leave safely," he added.