Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Wednesday said Bangladesh expects a response from India regarding its latest request for the extradition of convicted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
“I do not expect that they will answer within a week of Dhaka’s request, but we expect we will get an answer,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when asked about the status of the extradition request.
Pressed further, Touhid clarified that he was not suggesting Dhaka would not receive an answer, but that a reply within seven days was unlikely.
Bangladesh recently sent a fresh request to India seeking Hasina’s extradition following the latest verdict by International Crimes Tribunal-1.
Hossain said the diplomatic note (note verbale) was sent to India’s Ministry of External Affairs through the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. He also acknowledged that Bangladesh did not receive a reply from India to its first extradition request made last year.
On November 17, the ICT sentenced Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death in a case over crimes against humanity committed during last year’s July–August mass uprising. Former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who testified as a state witness, received a five-year prison sentence.
The Foreign Affairs Adviser on Sunday disclosed the latest diplomatic communication with New Delhi.
A diplomatic source in New Delhi told UNB that the note verbale was sent shortly after National Security Adviser (NSA) and High Representative for the Rohingya Issue Dr Khalilur Rahman returned to Dhaka from New Delhi. Dr Rahman attended the 7th meeting of the National Security Advisers of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) on Thursday at the invitation of Indian NSA Ajit Doval.
Following the verdict, Bangladesh urged India to immediately hand over Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal—both already convicted—to Bangladeshi authorities. This is also India’s obligation under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“It would be a grave act of unfriendly conduct and a travesty of justice for any other country to grant shelter to these individuals convicted of crimes against humanity,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, India said it had noted the verdict announced by the ICT and reaffirmed that it remains committed to engaging constructively with all stakeholders.
“As a close neighbor, India remains committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
The ministry added that it would continue to engage constructively with all stakeholders toward that end.