Independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana on Sunday said she could find no consistency in the statements made by different ministers, state ministers and advisers of the current government regarding the issue of Sheikh Hasina.

“I cannot find any consistency among the statements made by the government’s various ministers, state ministers, and advisers of the government,” she said while speaking during a discussion under Rule 71 in Parliament.

Referring to a famous line in Bengali literature, Rumeen said, “Kadambini proved that she had not died earlier through her death.” 

In a similar way, she said, Sheikh Hasina continues to make her presence felt through various means despite not being physically present in the country.

“The recent incidents in Gopalganj are the latest example of this,” she said.

Citing examples of inconsistency in the statements of the ministers and advisers, Rumeen said that Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Information and Broadcasting, said on November 3 that whether Hasina returned on her own or was brought back, the government's position was the same and it did not want to prevent her return.

Rumeen mentioned that he said that Hasina remains a Bangladeshi citizen despite being sentenced to death.

She said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir had recently stated that Hasina would not be given any passport or travel pass.

On November 9, he again said that Bangladesh would not issue a passport to any terrorist and that the government had no plan to issue her a new passport or national identity card (NID), she cited.

In another report, the state minister also referred to bringing Hasina back under the prisoner exchange agreement, she said.

On the other hand, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said on November 8 and 14 that the government is following the legal process.

The government had completed all legal procedures to bring Hasina back, and the remaining decision rested with India, the law minister said, according to Rumeen.

He also said Hasina had no scope to appeal against the death sentence, she added.

“Honourable Speaker, the inconsistencies we are seeing are that the Prime Minister's adviser has expressed support for lifting the restriction on Hasina's passport, while the State Minister for Foreign Affairs has categorically rejected it,” Rumeen said.

The Home Minister is saying that the applications have not yet been verified, while the State Minister for Foreign Affairs is dismissing the application as ridiculous on the same day, she added.