Foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday said that the foreign ministry would put efforts to bring back ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India if required by the country鈥檚 legal system.聽
鈥業t is better not to speculate. There are legal processes. If our legal system wants, we will definitely try [to bring Hasina back],鈥� Touhid told reporters at the foreign ministry in the afternoon.
When asked about Hasina鈥檚 current status in India, he recommended that such questions be directed to Indian authorities.
Following the interim government鈥檚 decision to revoke all diplomatic passports, questions have arisen about Hasina鈥檚 stay in India and the possibility of her extradition.
Earlier, the Indian ministry of external affairs confirmed that Hasina was allowed entry into India on short notice.
Pointing that there was an extradition agreement between Bangladesh and India, Touhid said that if the legal system and courts in Bangladesh raised concerns, the government would pursue her return.
Among SAARC member states, India has extradition treaties with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and an extradition arrangement with Sri Lanka.聽 Sheikh Hasina is facing multiple charges, including allegations of involvement in murders during the recent massacre.
Regarding the signed memorandum of understanding with India, including one in the railway sector, Touhid clarified that MoUs were not legally binding and could be reviewed to ensure that Bangladesh鈥檚 interests were protected.聽
The adviser explained that MoUs differed from agreements, allowing flexibility to evaluate whether Bangladesh鈥檚 interests were upheld.聽
He, however, said that ongoing projects with India would continue as planned. 聽
In response to the recent comments by India鈥檚 external affairs minister S Jaishankar about Bangladesh, Touhid said that Jaishankar spoke positively about renewed relations with Bangladesh.
On the situation with Myanmar, Touhid noted that Bangladesh had been maintaining high vigilance at the frontier to prevent further influxes of Rohingyas.
