Hasina’s extradition request being 'examined:' India

Reiterating its desire to engage constructively, India on Friday said they are examining the request for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s extradition as part of ongoing judicial and internal legal processes.

"There is a request.....the request is being examined as part of ongoing judicial and internal legal processes," the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi, noting that they will continue to engage constructively on the issue with all the stakeholders.

Responding to a question at the weekly media briefing, Jaiswal said they follow all the developments very closely.

Bangladesh, on April 8, reiterated its request to extradite Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to Bangladesh, who have been awarded death penalty by the International Crimes Tribunal.

"We will continue to seek her extradition through a transparent judicial process. It (the extradition request) has been discussed. It will be dealt with through a transparent judicial process," Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir told reporters recently in Dhaka.

He said there would be some challenges as Hasina is still staying there.

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met with Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman in New Delhi. Adviser on Foreign Affairs to Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Humaiun Kobir was also present at the meeting.

The External Affairs Minister reiterated India's desire to engage constructively with the new government and further strengthen bilateral ties, said the MEA spokesperson on Friday.

The two sides agreed to explore proposals for deepening the partnership through the relevant bilateral mechanisms.

Follow-on official meetings are expected to take place at an early date. Both sides exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

During the visit, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur also met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri.

Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir recently said the challenges that exist in the Bangladesh-India relationship can be resolved if both sides remain engaged in dialogue.

"Challenges are there. I am telling you repeatedly. You can address the challenges if you are engaged in dialogue. You must not give up the path of dialogue," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on  Monday evening.

Adviser Humaiun said the chances of resolving issues will be greater if the door to dialogue and discussion remains open.

"It was our first visit to India. Let us utilise this as a stepping stone to start dialogue and discussion for moving forward positively," said Adviser Humaiun, while responding to a question.

He said it is a very good start to working together positively.

Describing Sheikh Hasina as a terrorist and killer, he said she is staying in India after 'killing 1,500 people' in Bangladesh, reports UNB.

"It's a must to restrain her. She (ex-PM Hasina) should not be allowed to utilise Indian soil to destabilise Bangladesh in any way," he said.

The adviser said there are some issues that can be resolved immediately while others may take a little longer to resolve.