On Monday, India confirmed that it had received a formal request from the interim government of Bangladesh, headed by Nobel winner Muhammad Yunus, for the extradition of ousted prime minister and Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, announced the update and stated that at present, New Delhi has no remarks to make on this issue.
“We acknowledge receipt of a note verbale from the Bangladesh High Commission today regarding an extradition request. As of now, we have no remarks to provide on this issue,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a media briefing.
A note verbale is a formal diplomatic correspondence composed in the third person and is not signed.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh’s unofficial Foreign Minister Touhid Hossain announced from his office in Dhaka that the nation has dispatched a diplomatic note to India’s Foreign Ministry requesting Hasina’s extradition.
Hasina, 77, fled to New Delhi from Bangladesh on August 5 after major protests led to the downfall of her 16-year rule. At present, she is dealing with numerous court cases related to the fatalities, including several involving accusations of crimes against humanity.
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Hasina and her close associates already have arrest warrants issued by the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka, and the Yunus administration has requested assistance from the internal police agency Interpol for her capture.
Earlier today, Bangladesh Home Adviser Jahangir Alam stated that his office has dispatched a letter to the foreign ministry to assist in the extradition of the deposed prime minister from India.
“We have sent a letter to the foreign ministry regarding her extradition. The process is currently underway,” he told reporters.
