Indian High Commissioner summoned, call to arrest Hadi's attackers if they enter India
India’s High Commissioner to Dhaka, Pranay Verma, has once again been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bangladesh has urged that if those, who attacked Sharif Osman Hadi, convener of Inqilab Moncho, enter India, they should be arrested and sent back.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pranay Verma was summoned on Sunday morning.
He was also informed of the interim government’s concerns over the continued provocative statements being made by deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has taken refuge in Delhi.
During the tenure of the interim government, this is at least the fifth time the ambassador of the neighbouring country has been summoned in connection with various incidents.
Sharif Osman Hadi, convener of Inqilab Moncho and a supporter of the July uprising, was shot by assailants in Dhaka last Friday. He remains hospitalised in critical condition. There are rumours that the attackers fled to India after shooting Osman Hadi.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that India’s cooperation was sought to prevent the suspects involved in the attempted murder of Osman Hadi from fleeing to India. It was also requested that if they have already managed to enter Indian territory, they be arrested immediately and extradited to Bangladesh.
Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina following the July uprising, relations between Bangladesh and India have strained. After being deposed in the mass uprising, she fled to India on 5 August last year. Forces backing the uprising allege that the Indian government had supported her continued grip on power in Bangladesh through a series of controversial elections.
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has continued to issue statements and remarks from Delhi. Although the interim government has repeatedly called for these to stop, New Delhi has not responded.
On 17 November, after Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity committed while suppressing the July movement, the interim government formally requested New Delhi to return her. However, there has been no response from Delhi.
Meanwhile, following the announcement of the schedule for the 13th parliamentary election and referendum, Sheikh Hasina has made further statements.
Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs again summoned the Indian High Commissioner. He was called to the state guest house Padma, where Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam conveyed the government’s concerns.
The Indian High Commissioner was told that fugitive Sheikh Hasina is being allowed to make provocative statements, through which she is inciting her supporters to carry out terrorist activities aimed at sabotaging the upcoming election. Bangladesh expressed deep concern over this matter.
Pranay Verma was also informed that fugitive leaders and activists of the now-banned Awami League are plotting various terrorist activities from India to derail Bangladesh’s forthcoming election. Bangladesh called for these “fascist terrorists” to be arrested and sent back.
The Indian High Commissioner was again urged to return Sheikh Hasina—convicted of crimes against humanity—as well as her government’s former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that, as a neighbouring country, the Indian government would stand by the people of Bangladesh in upholding justice and safeguarding the democratic process.
The Indian High Commissioner said India expects a peaceful election to be held in Bangladesh and that his country is ready to provide full cooperation in this regard.