Bangladesh has no options if India refuses to return Hasina: Touhid
“Tell me, what can we possibly do? What choices are left to us?” he asked.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has said Bangladesh has little recourse if India chooses not to return ousted authoritarian ruler Sheikh Hasina.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, he said, “Tell me, what can we do? What options do we have? In reality, there is nothing significant we can do. India must agree—or be willing—to send her back.”
“If they don’t agree, we truly have no leverage,” he added. “We can try to persuade them, and we will keep trying, but there’s nothing beyond that.”
On 5 August last year, following a mass student-public uprising, then–Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced from power and fled to India, where she has remained.
Last month, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death for killings and crimes against humanity committed during the crackdown on the movement. Although the interim government has formally sought her return, New Delhi has yet to respond.
Most recently, after the verdict, Bangladesh sent a diplomatic note to India requesting her extradition under the existing agreement.
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