Bangladesh wants former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to be handed over through the extradition process, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said on Monday, stressing that she must be brought back to face the legal consequences of her convictions.
Speaking to journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the state minister also criticised UK-based law firms representing Hasina, saying lawyers should consider the ethical and moral implications of taking on her case rather than being driven solely by financial interests.
He said thousands of people had been killed in Bangladesh and accused Hasina's government of further killings in the weeks before her departure from the country.
“Law firms are pursuing clients, but they should also show some ethical responsibility towards the people of Bangladesh instead of chasing money,” he said.
Kabir urged lawyers to consider British laws relating to citizenship, immigration, national security and public safety when representing clients such as Hasina. He also raised concerns over what he described as security threats and activities being directed from Delhi.
The state minister said Hasina was not an ordinary traveller seeking to return to Bangladesh, noting that she had already been convicted and faced other pending cases.
Asked about reports of her passport application, Kobir said she could make an application or seek legal representation, but that would not change Bangladesh's position.
“We want her to face justice. She is not coming here for a visit or a family trip,” he said.
Kobir said the government was seeking her handover under the extradition treaty with India so that the relevant legal proceedings and sentences could be carried out in Bangladesh.
He added that the verdict in one case had already been delivered, while several other cases remained pending, making her return necessary for the legal process to proceed.
