Dhaka is likely to raise the issue of extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India for shelter on August 5 facing a student-led mass uprising, in the Bangladesh-India Foreign Office Consultation scheduled for mid-December in the capital.
鈥楾he extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India is a political issue鈥t is likely to be聽 discussed in the upcoming FOC with India scheduled to be held in Dhaka next month,鈥� foreign ministry鈥檚 public diplomacy wing director general Toufique Hasan said on Thursday.
He said that the ministry was working to fix agenda for the first such routine meeting after the interim government-led by Professor Muhammad Yunus took over on August 8, following the fall of the authoritarian regime of Sheikh Hasina.
On the issue of issuance of Indian visas for Bangladeshis, Toufique, also foreign ministry spokesperson, said that the government had communicated with the Indian authorities on the matter, but they had said that they halted processing of visas of some categories excepting for students and medical emergencies due to shortage of manpower.
He, however, said that the visa issue also would be discussed with India during the FOC.聽
An inter-ministerial meeting was held at the foreign ministry on Wednesday to prepare for the FOC with India, he said, adding that the last FOC was held in Delhi in November, 2023.
Responding to a question, he said that the foreign ministry would request its Indian counterpart to send back Sheikh Hasina, now facing an arrest warrant from the International Crimes Tribunal on allegations of committing crimes against humanity during the July-August mass uprising besides dozens of murder cases, if the government鈥檚 higher authorities took decision in this regard.
鈥榃e would take necessary steps if we receive any directive from the higher authorities concerned to repatriate her,鈥� he added.
Responding to a question about international pressures on Bangladesh鈥檚 internal political matters, particularly regarding the Awami League, the spokesperson denied any external influence on Bangladesh鈥檚 internal political affairs.
About the propaganda allegedly by Indian media outlets against Bangladesh in the present political context, he said that that they had communicated through the Indian High Commission in Dhaka that such anti-Bangladesh campaign was unwarranted in the perspective of the friendly relation between the two neighbouring nations.