Efforts to continue until convicts are back from India: Shama

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam talking to reporters in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Dhaka, Sept 16 - State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Wednesday said Bangladesh will take all necessary legal and diplomatic steps under existing laws to bring back convicted fugitives including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and those sentenced to death in the latest verdict.

She said the Foreign Ministry would initiate the required process with the Indian government once it officially receives all necessary documents related to the verdict delivered on Tuesday.

“Look, this is an ongoing process. I should not and do not wish to comment on the legal aspects,” she told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Tuesday sentenced seven people including Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader to death for their roles in suppressing the July 2024 mass uprising through incitement, provocation, attacks and killings.

Regarding the Foreign Ministry's responsibility, Shama said, “We are taking and will continue to take all necessary steps under existing laws to extradite convicted criminals, including the former Prime Minister of the fascist government and those sentenced yesterday (Sept 15).”

She said efforts are underway under the extradition treaty to bring back the former home minister, the former prime minister and the killers of martyr Hadi, who are currently detained in India. “Official correspondence is being exchanged,” she said.

“Since the verdict was delivered just yesterday (Sept 15), once we officially receive all the necessary paperwork, we will contact the Indian government through due process to take whatever steps are required,” said the State Minister.

The government will certainly take all legal measures needed to bring the accused back to face justice, she added.

Asked whether Bangladesh has received any response from India to its earlier letter seeking the extradition of former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Shama said diplomatic communication is ongoing. “We have not yet received a definitive answer from India,” she said.

“However, from what we understand, they may have their own internal legal procedures to follow, and they are carrying out that process. These efforts will continue until we successfully bring them back to Bangladeshi soil,” she added.

Indian media outlet The Print claimed that India has not yet given its approval to Bangladesh for the appointment of Asad Alam Siam as Dhaka’s next High Commissioner at New Delhi though the process to appoint new High Commissioners and Ambassadors by Dhaka for various foreign postings began in July.

Asked about media reports in Bangladesh and India, Shama urged the media not to publish such reports without official confirmation.

“I would request everyone not to pay heed to or publish such news reports until an official statement or concrete information is issued by either the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Government of India,” she said.

On an inter-ministerial meeting held on Tuesday regarding Bangladeshis travelling abroad with forged documents and false information, the State Minister said the government is working to streamline the migration process for the large number of Bangladeshis living abroad.

“Ever since the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) formed the government, we have been working on how to streamline and consolidate the migration process for the vast number of Bangladeshi citizens living abroad,” she said.

The State Minister noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already taken several initiatives, including opening a dedicated Migration Wing.- UNB