India has said travel documents are required for travel as Bangladesh seeks the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina under the existing bilateral treaty.
“Obviously, for travel of people, you need a travel document. That is what I understand. But again, this is a technical matter, and I'll come back to you,” Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Asked whether extradition was possible without a passport, Jaiswal said Hasina’s case was a legal matter that would be dealt with accordingly.
On Monday, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Bangladesh does not issue passports to “convicted and fled terrorists”. He did not clarify whether the government would issue a one-way travel permit to Hasina, who reportedly wants to return by December.
International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said on Tuesday that Hasina had no legal recourse left to challenge her verdict, as the 30-day appeal deadline had expired.
“If she genuinely wanted to return to Bangladesh, she would have come back while the trial was ongoing and faced the case,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman said Hasina had not personally applied for a passport. He said a law firm had sent a letter seeking arrangements for issuing one, but stressed that an application must come from the individual concerned.
The Associated Press reported that London-based law firm Matrix Chambers had emailed the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, seeking a passport and national identity card for Hasina. The letter requested expedited processing, citing her Bangladeshi nationality and international human rights obligations.
A diplomatic source told UNB that the letter, addressed to Acting High Commissioner Preeti Rahman, had been forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Separately, Jaiswal criticised foreign nationals for allegedly using livestreams and online content to portray Dhaka as Delhi. Asked about reports of Chinese nationals livestreaming from homes and public places, he called such attempts to spread false narratives unfortunate and urged the authorities concerned to take action.
