Bangladesh to Take Steps for Extradition of Deposed PM Hasina from India

Dhaka : Bangladesh plans to initiate necessary measures to extradite deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India in order to prosecute her on charges of mass killings during the student-led mass movement against her government, the newly-appointed Chief Prosecutor of the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) said on Sunday.

Amid unprecedented anti-government protests that culminated on August 5, Hasina resigned from her position as prime minister and fled to India.

Chief Prosecutor Md Tajul Islam, quoted by The Daily Star, stated, “Steps will be taken under the extradition treaty with India to bring former Prime Minister Hasina back to face trial for mass killings during the student-led protests in July and August.”

At a press briefing on the ICT premises in Dhaka, Islam added, “We will file an application with the International Crimes Tribunal, when it resumes, to issue arrest warrants for all absconding accused, including Sheikh Hasina, related to cases of mass killings and crimes against humanity.”

When asked about amendments to the existing International Crimes Tribunal Act, Islam said that decisions would be made after consulting with the government. He emphasized that gathering and presenting information, documents, and evidence against the accused from across the country would be a significant challenge and a substantial task.

Interim Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum reported that over 1,000 people were killed, and hundreds more were injured during the protests against Hasina’s government.

Last month, Bangladesh’s ICT initiated an investigation into Hasina and nine others for charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, allegedly committed during the mass protests between July 15 and August 5.

Islam noted that the tribunal and its investigative team would need to be restructured, as the previous judges, prosecution team, and investigators had stepped down following the formation of an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, after the fall of Hasina’s government.