Bangladesh's foreign affairs adviser may seek extradition of Sheikh Hasina | Foreign policy, defense and security news

Sheikh Hasina arrived in India on August 5 after a student uprising against her turned violent. According to the Dhaka Tribune, a case has been filed against Hasina and 24 others at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, for alleged human rights violations.

The Bangladeshi media outlet said several cases were pending against Hasina.

In addition, Hossein, the foreign policy adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh led by Mohammad Yunus, said that the Nobel laureate was “very dissatisfied” with the statements made by India and the former prime minister and that he had conveyed this to the Indian envoy in a meeting.

“Professor Yunus is very unhappy about the statements from India, from the former prime minister. He is very unhappy about it and I have conveyed this to the High Commissioner (of India),” Hossain said in the interview with Reuters TV.

“I also told the press that we have communicated this because we believe in transparent relations. Whatever is there, there might be some secret points. Otherwise, we want to make things public. And we have – I just told him about the chief adviser's dissatisfaction and let's hope they take care of it,” he said in an interview with Reuters TV.

Regarding the possibility of elections in the violence-torn country, Hossein said there would be more clarity on the timetable by September.

“All my colleagues on the advisory board are extremely busy trying to restore normality,” he said, adding: “I think by September things will be back to normal and normal operations will return.”

Regarding the provision of refuge to Rohingya, Hossain stressed that Bangladesh had “done more than its share” and was “not in a position to allow more Rohingya to enter”. He said other countries, including India, should “take responsibility for this”.

“We are not in a position to allow more Rohingyas into the country. It is a humanitarian problem that affects the whole world, not just Bangladesh. We have done more than our share and the world should take care of it,” Hossein said.

Other countries “should put pressure on the Arakan Army, which is currently the main actor in Rakhine State, through their respective countries to ensure that this does not happen, because we are not in a position to do that,” Hossain told Reuters TV.

“Well, India is a very big country. If they want to take some, that's fine. We have taken in a million, if they take in 200,000, I don't care. But the goal is their repatriation to their country,” Hossain said.

According to a report in the Dhaka Tribune, the interim government of Bangladesh has invalidated the passports of Sheikh Hasina, her advisers, former cabinet members and all members of the 12th National Parliament.

Authorities have also confiscated the diplomatic passports of their spouses and children with immediate effect, the Bangladeshi publication reported.

Bangladesh is facing a volatile political situation since Sheikh Hasina resigned from her post on August 5 amid growing protests. Hasina, who fled Bangladesh to India on a military plane on August 5, is currently in India.

The protests, led mainly by students demanding an end to the quota system for government jobs, took the form of anti-government protests.

On August 8, Nobel Prize winner in economics Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as head of the interim government of Bangladesh. 17 members of the interim government took the oath of office at a ceremony in Dhaka.

First published: August 31, 2024 | 4:16 p.m. IS