India faces no legal hurdle in extraditing Hasina, says PM’s Adviser Zahed

Prime Minister's Adviser on Policy and Strategy Dr Zahed Ur Rahman has clarified that the government will seek the extradition of fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina under the Extradition Act.

“India would face no legal complications in extraditing Hasina, as she herself wanted to return to Bangladesh,” said Zahed at a weekly briefing on the government activities at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

"Sheikh Hasina is not merely an ordinary criminal; she is a convicted offender in serious crimes such as crimes against humanity. A case involving 100 or 500 murders is one thing, but crimes against humanity are an entirely different matter," he said.

"Our constitution also clearly states that the fundamental human rights generally enjoyed by individuals shall remain suspended or withdrawn in the case of those convicted of crimes against humanity," he added.

Although legal complications have been cited in the past, the reality is that Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly expressed her willingness to return to the country. In such circumstances, questions about legal complications or lengthy court proceedings do not arise, he said.

Responding to journalists' questions about issuing a passport to Sheikh Hasina and the publication of the full verdict by the tribunal, the adviser said that although a law firm had sent a letter to Delhi, India, Hasina herself had not formally applied for a passport. Therefore, there was no scope for confusion over the matter.

He added that the International Crimes Tribunal's short-form verdict was already in effect, while publication of the full verdict was part of the regular judicial process and would be completed in due course.