NEW DELHI: Bangladesh on Monday formally urged India to immediately extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her aide Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, hours after a Dhaka tribunal sentenced the two to death for “crimes against humanity”. India reacted with caution, saying it remained “committed to best interests of people of Bangladesh”.
In a sharply worded statement issued in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Hasina and Kamal as “fugitives” convicted of murder linked to last year’s violent crackdown on student protests.
Granting asylum to the two, it warned, would be “highly inappropriate behaviour and a disregard for justice”. Dhaka insisted that New Delhi had a “binding obligation” under bilateral agreements to hand them over.
The statement pressed India not to provide “any form of shelter or support” to the convicted leaders and to facilitate their return to face justice.
The escalation comes amid heightened political turmoil in Bangladesh following the tribunal’s verdict.
While the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sidestepped Dhaka’s direct demand, it noted the tribunal’s decision. In a brief statement, the MEA stressed the importance of peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in its neighbour.
“We will always engage constructively with all stakeholders to that end,” the MEA said, without commenting on the extradition request.