Efforts on to bring Hasina back to face trial; people want her extradition: Shama Obaed

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Wednesday said the people of Bangladesh want former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina extradited, and efforts are underway to bring her back to the country to face trial.

"Of course, we should bring her back to Bangladesh and complete the trial. That is what the people of Bangladesh want. Work is underway for that purpose," she told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when asked about Hasina's recent remarks.

The State Minister, however, said there is no new update, as the process is still underway.

Responding to another question, Shama Obaed said that, from Bangladesh's perspective, the country maintains relations with all nations, and each relationship is unique.

"We will have relations with China. We will have relations with all countries. And I don't think that if relations with one country are good, relations with another country will be bad," she said.

The State Minister said the government's goal is to safeguard Bangladesh's national interests by maintaining good relations with all countries. "This is our goal," she added.

Reiterating its desire to engage constructively, India on April 17 said they are examining the request for former 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.

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.