If Sheikh Hasina wants to return, govt will act under extradition treaty

If Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister ousted in the July mass uprising, wants to return to Bangladesh, the government will take the necessary steps in accordance with the existing extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed made the remarks during a meeting of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) parliamentary party at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban Monday afternoon, when the issue of Hasina’s return to the country came up for discussion, according to sources at the meeting.

The meeting was held at the ruling party’s meeting room in parliament ahead of the start of the fourth session of the 13th parliament. It was chaired by Leader of the House and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Several members of parliament (MP) who attended the meeting said the prime minister made no comment on rumours about Sheikh Hasina’s return to Bangladesh. However, he indicated, “We took to the streets on 7 November. We will remain on the streets. We must confront all conspiracies on the streets.”

A Reuters report on Monday said Sheikh Hasina has sought a new passport and national identity card (NID) to return to Bangladesh. Lawyers from London-based legal consultancy Matrix Chambers has written to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Hasina’s behalf.

In the letter addressed to Acting High Commissioner Preeti Rahman, they said they have learnt that the former interim government and other authorities have cancelled Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladeshi passport and NID. In these circumstances, they requested that the necessary steps be taken to issue new Bangladeshi passport and NID documents to their client.

In an interview with Reuters in July, Sheikh Hasina expressed her intention to return to Bangladesh in December and surrender before a court.

The issue of Sheikh Hasina’s return to Bangladesh was briefly discussed at Monday’s meeting of the BNP parliamentary party. In this regard, the home minister said Bangladesh and India had an extradition treaty. The government would take necessary steps in accordance with the rules, laws and established practices.

Earlier, at a media briefing on contemporary issues at the Ministry of Home Affairs, the minister had said that the authenticity of reports that Sheikh Hasina has applied for a new passport and NID to return to Bangladesh and its legal basis were being examined.

An MP who attended the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they have been briefed on what to say about Hasina’s return to the country. In this regard, a responsible minister said they have been instructed to say that if Sheikh Hasina wanted to return to Bangladesh, she would be brought back under the extradition treaty with India.

According to sources at the meeting, the prime minister gave the commerce minister an advance warning to keep the prices of essential commodities at affordable levels ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. The commerce minister assured the prime minister that commodity prices would not rise during Ramadan and that the market would remain stable.

The meeting also discussed the ongoing road development projects under the ministry of local government, and the ministry of road transport. In addition, the energy and electricity situation was also discussed there.

The prime minister sought detailed updates from several ministers on the activities of their respective ministries. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed briefed the meeting on the law and order situation in the country.

Early on Monday, the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi received an email from London-based law firm Matrix Chambers on behalf of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The email sought a new passport and an NID card for Hasina.

Contacting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka, it was learnt that the mission has forwarded the message to Dhaka seeking further instructions on how to proceed with the email.

When asked about the matter, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir told Prothom Alo at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monday afternoon that there was no way to establish that the application submitted by Matrix Chambers was actually an application from Sheikh Hasina.

Humaiun Kobir said, this was because the email sent by the law firm contained no document or proof of Hasina’s authorisation. When an organisation submits an application on someone’s behalf, it must have that person’s authorisation.

Earlier, responding to questions from journalists, the state minister said the application from the UK-based legal consultancy was weak legally, ethically and morally.

Any law firm should know who its client actually is, he said. Their client was someone who had killed more than 1,500 people and fled Bangladesh. Rather than pursuing blood-soaked money looted from the people of Bangladesh, they should maintain some ethical and professional boundaries, the state minister remarked.

He said such unethical representation of a fugitive criminal would only bring shame upon them in the international field.

The state minister further said that no ordinary passport application would be effective in the case of fugitive criminals. Sheikh Hasina would be brought back to the country through legal and diplomatic processes under the extradition treaty and brought to justice.

Describing the application for a new passport and NID as “utterly ridiculous”, the state minister said that if Sheikh Hasina genuinely wanted to return to Bangladesh, there was a specific legal process for her to follow. There was no scope for her to return to the country with a new passport.

Bangladesh and India have an extradition treaty. If Sheikh Hasina wished, she could ask the Indian government to hand her over to Bangladesh under that treaty. She could return to the country, surrender before a court and serve her sentence, added the state minister.

According to the Reuters report, this is the first application Sheikh Hasina has made concerning her passport and NID since she fled to India on 5 August 2024 in the face of the student-people uprising.

The letter also stated that, in view of Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladeshi citizenship and Bangladesh’s obligations under various international human rights treaties, her applications should be processed promptly.

Reuters contacted Acting High Commissioner Preeti Rahman in New Delhi and spokespersons for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka for comment. However, they did not immediately respond to the news agency’s requests, the report said.

According to Reuters, before her ouster, the Awami League was the largest political party in Bangladesh. The party’s activities were banned in the country following Sheikh Hasina’s fall from power. Many leaders and activists of the party are in prison, while others are in voluntary exile in India or other countries.

Sheikh Hasina ruled Bangladesh as prime minister for a total of 20 years across several terms. She still has support among a section of the population. As the current government tries to restore stability after more than two years of unrest, Hasina’s return could further deepen political divisions.

On the other hand, Sheikh Hasina’s efforts to return to Bangladesh could help improve the strained relations between Bangladesh and India. Relations between Dhaka and New Delhi deteriorated significantly after India gave her refuge.