Bangladesh is expecting a reply from India regarding its request for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s extradition and will send a reminder after a certain period if no reply is received from New Delhi, said a spokesperson on Tuesday.
“Surely, we will wait until a certain period. The diplomatic letter (note verbale) was handed over on Monday only. A reminder will be given writing again if no reply comes (from Indian side),” spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Rafiqul Alam told reporters while responding to a question at the weekly briefing.
He said the government will take the next step based on the reply from the Indian side. "At this moment we won’t make any comments as we will wait for the reply.”
“If you look at the extradition treaty and so far I remember, there is no mention about time limit,” said the spokesperson, adding that they have not received any reply from the Indian side as of now.
Dhaka seeks Hasina’s extradition, sends letter to Delhi
The spokesperson at India’s Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal on Monday confirmed that they received the extradition request for Sheikh Hasina from the interim government of Bangladesh.
"We confirm that we have received a Note Verbale from the Bangladesh High Commission today in connection with an extradition request," he said, adding that at this time, they have no comment to offer on this matter.
Hasina is facing over 100 cases with a wide range of charges, including murder, genocide and crimes against humanity in charge of killings during the July uprising that led to make her flee to India on August 5.
Bangladesh and India signed an extradition treaty in 2013, which was later amended in 2016, providing a legal framework for such requests.
In July 2016, Bangladesh and India amended Article 10 (3) of their bilateral Extradition Treaty to facilitate the swift extradition of fugitive criminals between the two nations.
On December 8, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said they would formally approach India seeking former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition after completing the required legal procedures.
"Our government's position on the extradition of Sheikh Hasina is very clear. We want to bring Sheikh Hasina back to the country to face the law," he said during a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy.
The interim government claims that Hasina was the key person who passed the order in the "massacre" that took place during her tenure, killing more than 1,500 people during the July-August period.
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In September, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said Hasina should be extradited and brought to justice if she committed crimes.
"Why shouldn't she be? If she committed crimes, she should be extradited and brought to justice… she should be facing justice, too," he said while responding to a question at "The New York Times Climate Forward Event."
On November 12, Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Advocate Md Tajul Islam wrote to Inspector General of Police Md Moinul Islam, urging the issuance of a red notice through Interpol to secure the return of Sheikh Hasina and other fugitives.
Earlier, on October 17, a three-member ICT bench led by its Chairman, Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumdar, issued arrest warrants for 46 people, including Sheikh Hasina and former minister Obaidul Quader, in separate cases.