The interim government is under pressure from the leaders of the student uprising to bring former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is in India, to justice. In such a situation, diplomatic letters have been issued to India to get her back. The state says that if Sheikh Hasina is brought back, the trial process can be progressed well.
However, analysts inside and outside the government in both countries believe that there is no indication yet that Sheikh Hasina will want to return to the country on her own and face trial. The Bangladesh government will have to overcome a difficult path to successfully bring her back by resolving all legal complications.
And the decision to hand over Sheikh Hasina to Bangladeshi authorities is not at all easy for India. All in all, bringing her back and completing the trial in her presence is a complex, time-consuming, and even almost impossible matter.
Analysts believe that the issue of returning Prime Minister Hasina has domestic political implications in both countries. It also has implications for bilateral relations, regional stability, and even international political relevance.
Former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Mahesh Sachdev said that the diplomatic letter for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition is just the beginning. She can go to court if she wants to challenge the request for her return.
Bangladesh Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Rafiqul Alam said, “There has been no response from New Delhi through official channels. The Bangladesh government will wait for India’s response. If no response is received within the specified time, a reminder letter will be sent from Bangladesh.”
International Criminal Court (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said that if the government can bring Sheikh Hasina back, it will be possible to conduct the trial better.
Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Towhid Hossain announced that diplomatic letters had been sent to India for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition. That same evening, the country’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that diplomatic letters had been received.Regarding relations with India, an analyst of the Bangladesh government believes that the former Prime Minister has been asked to return under the extradition treaty. According to that, the two states are two parties. Currently, Sheikh Hasina herself is also a party. As a result, there is an issue of sending her back from India as a state. Whether she wants to return herself, whether she will return to Dhaka and face trial in court, is also an important issue in the decision to return her.
Dr. Sriradha Dutta, professor of international affairs at OP Jindal Global University in Haryana, India, said, “The whole issue of Sheikh Hasina going to Delhi, asking for her return and returning her is politically motivated. The issue is very complex for both sides. So it is safe to say that her return will not happen overnight.”
