Dhaka sends note verbale for Hasina’s extradition
BENGALURU: Bangladesh’s interim government said on Monday it had sent a note verbale to India seeking the extradition of deposed former prime minister and Awami League head Sheikh Hasina. Hasina, 77, has been living in exile in India after she fled on August 5 following massive student protests over a controversial job quota.
Foreign affairs adviser Touhid Hossain told media persons that they had sent the note verbale asking to send Hasina back for judicial process. It came after Bangladesh’s home advisor Jahangir Alam said his office had sent a letter to the foreign ministry to facilitate Hasina’s extradition, quoting a prisoner exchange agreement with India “under which it (her extradition) will be carried out”.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed they have received the diplomatic note from Dhaka. “We confirm that we have received a Note Verbale from the Bangladesh High Commission today in connection with an extradition request. At this time, we have no comment to offer on this matter,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Speaking to the TNIE, former high commissioners to Bangladesh Veena Sikri (2003-06) and Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty (2007-09) said a “note verbale is not an instrument on which extradition can be sought. Extradition is a very long, detailed process involving the judiciary. Request for extradition comes at the end of the process,” they said. “The requesting country has to complete the judicial process of proving the charges against the fugitive leader and convicting her,” said Sikri.
She added that the UNHRC (United Nations Human Rights Council) was invited to investigate the charges against Hasina. “The UNHRC team visited Bangladesh twice since August but they were not provided any evidence on the charges of murder, forced disappearance and human rights violations against Hasina,” added Sikri. “I’m told that Dhaka has sought Hasina’s extradition under a prisoner exchange agreement with India. Hasina is not a prisoner in India. She came here of her own will,” the former diplomat pointed out.
India’s Extradition Act prescribes separate procedures for handling extradition requests from different countries.