Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain has said that Bangladesh had formally requested India to return former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to face trial in Bangladesh, but New Delhi has not given any positive response to the request.
Speaking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Monday evening, Hossain said, “There is no new information on this matter. Bangladesh has requested India to return Sheikh Hasina to face trial. However, there has been no positive response from India. Bangladesh is waiting. The trial process against Sheikh Hasina has already begun. Whether she is present or not, the trial will continue.”
When asked if Bangladesh would seek assistance from any international organisation to bring Hasina back, the adviser replied, “If the government deems it necessary, it may seek such assistance. But at the moment, I do not see any such need.”
Regarding India’s alleged “push-in” policy, Hossain clarified that Bangladesh has no policy on such a matter. “If any Bangladeshi is living illegally in India, they can be detained, and India should notify us. Bangladesh will confirm their citizenship and take them back. The ‘push-in’ practice is a deviation from this process, and we have protested against it,” he said.
Hossain added, “We told India that we have taken back citizens verified from the lists provided by them. Therefore, they should follow the same process. Yet India continues the ‘push-in,’ which is unfortunate. We are protesting this matter.”
When asked what Bangladesh could do next, Hossain stated, “One undeniable fact is that we will not go to war over this. The only option left is diplomatic dialogue. We are pursuing that. Success has not come yet, but we hope it will come eventually.”
