In a recent interview with India Today, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen voiced his support for Delhi in the wake of heightened tension between India and Canada concerning the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“Canada must not be a hub of all murderers. Murderers can go to Canada and take shelter, and they can have a wonderful life while those they killed relatives of the victims are suffering,” the foreign minister said.
Canada previously refused to extradite Noor Chowdhury, the self-confessed assassin of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Momen’s comment has intensified the debate surrounding Canada's practices, reports India Today.
"Our judiciary is very independent and the government cannot intervene in that. But, [Noor Chowdhury] has the scope for a life sentence. If he comes back to Bangladesh, both Noor Chowdhury and Rashid Chowdhury can ask for a mercy petition from the president of the country. And the president may grant them the mercy petition and change it from execution to life sentence,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said during the interview.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told parliament earlier this month that Canada suspected Indian government agents were linked to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the province of British Columbia in June.
Nijjar was a Canadian citizen but India had declared him a "terrorist." He supported the cause of Khalistan, an independent homeland for Sikhs to be carved out of India.
India had dismissed Canada's allegations as absurd, and ties have become strained with both governments expelling a diplomat in a tit-for-tat move.