New Delhi, Jan 04, (V7N) - India has not yet made a definitive statement regarding Bangladesh's request for the extradition of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. While Bangladesh is awaiting a response, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed receiving a communication from Bangladesh, but did not provide further details.
During a weekly briefing in New Delhi, Jaiswal stated, "I have nothing to add at this point in time," when asked about the extradition issue. The Bangladesh government, however, has expressed concerns, with interim government adviser Mahfuj Alam suggesting that India may have made a political decision not to return Hasina.
Bangladesh officials indicated that if no response is received from India soon, they would send a reminder. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mohammad Rafiqul Alam mentioned that the government will wait for India's reply before taking further action.
Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August 2023, faces over 100 criminal charges, including murder, genocide, and crimes against humanity, related to killings during the July uprising in Bangladesh. The two countries signed an extradition treaty in 2013, which was later amended in 2016 to expedite the process of returning fugitives.
In another development, the Chattogram court recently rejected the bail application of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatan Jagran Jote and former ISKCON leader, in a sedition case. Jaiswal reiterated India's expectation that Bangladesh will ensure a fair trial for those arrested in the case.
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