Sheikh Hasina’s ‘extradition’ will be handled in accordance with the law: Jaiswal

BanglaPress Desk: Regarding the potential extradition of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, stated that the matter would be addressed through existing legal processes and agreements. He made these remarks on Tuesday (November 10) in response to a question from the media during the Ministry’s regular weekly briefing.

Randhir Jaiswal noted that the issue would be resolved in accordance with the legal framework and the provisions of the extradition treaty existing between the two nations.

He stated that the request for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition is a legal and judicial matter, and it will be handled accordingly. Furthermore, he noted that the Bangladesh High Commission would be the best source of information regarding the passport and National Identity (NID) card of the ousted former Prime Minister.

When asked about the latest discussions between New Delhi and Dhaka concerning the extradition request sent by Bangladesh, Jaiswal reiterated, "As I have mentioned regarding the letter concerning the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, this is entirely a legal and judicial process. The matter will be addressed in line with that."

Subsequently, a journalist asked about the situation where Sheikh Hasina has reportedly written to the Bangladesh government stating that she is in exile in India, while the Bangladeshi government has sought her extradition, citing her conviction under criminal law. The journalist inquired about the Indian government's position on this.

In response, Jaiswal repeated his earlier stance, stating, "The question regarding the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is purely a legal and judicial matter. It will be handled accordingly."

Journalists also questioned whether it is possible to extradite an individual without travel documents. When asked if a passport is mandatory for the extradition of a person to their home country, Jaiswal replied, "You are now asking me a technical and legal question regarding Sheikh Hasina’s extradition. As I have said, this is entirely a legal matter, and it will be addressed as such. Naturally, travel documents are required for the movement of individuals; however, this is a technical matter." "I will provide you with further details on this matter later."

The issue of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty also came up during the briefing. When asked about the expiration of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty on December 12, Jaiswal stated, "I have already addressed this in a previous press briefing. I do not have any new information at this moment; therefore, please refer to my earlier remarks."

Additionally, a question was raised regarding the possibility of a visit to Delhi by BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman between November and December. In response, Jaiswal said, "I do not have any new information regarding this specific matter. Should any information become available, we will let you know."