Dhaka: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today urged India to expedite the extradition of convicted fugitive ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the suspected killers of Shaheed Osman Hadi to Bangladesh. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at the Secretariat this morning.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the foreign minister stated that the issue of the return or extradition of convicted Hasina to Bangladesh was discussed, with hopes that India would respond positively to the request. Khalilur also raised the matter of extraditing the suspected killers of Shaheed Hadi, who have been arrested in India, emphasizing the sensitivity of the issue and the urgency of their extradition to Bangladesh.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Rahman welcomed High Commissioner Trivedi to Bangladesh. The Indian envoy shared his experiences in Bangladesh, expressing happiness in serving in the country. Both sides stressed the importance of creating an "enabling environment" to advance Bangladesh-India relations.
Addressing a query on the August 5 event in New Delhi involving Hasina, Khalilur revealed that Bangladesh had conveyed its position to India, which had taken Dhaka's concerns seriously. The Indian authorities expressed regret over the incident, which Khalilur explained went beyond regret, concerning respect for Bangladesh's state institutions. He emphasized the need for respecting the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary, highlighting that Hasina's actions showed contempt for Bangladesh's Judiciary.
Khalilur expressed expectations that all countries should respect Bangladesh's state structure, with hopes that the Indian government would understand their position. He felt "somewhat reassured" following discussions with the Indian side. Brief mention was made of recent border incidents, as such issues were typically handled at other levels.
Regarding Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's potential visit to India, Khalilur mentioned that no decision had been made. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extended an invitation through a letter when the new government was formed. Separately, an invitation to the BRICS Summit was extended to Rahman as the current Chair of BIMSTEC, with no decision made on either invitation.
When questioned about the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and other river-related issues, Khalilur explained that such substantive matters were not typically discussed during a courtesy call between the Prime Minister and an ambassador.