Sheikh Hasina's exact legal status in India unclear: Chief Prosecutor

Bangladesh still does not have specific information about the exact status or legal position of convicted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in India, said International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam.

Responding to journalists' questions on Monday, August 17, he said Sheikh Hasina has been convicted in proceedings before the tribunal. A formal extradition request has already been sent to India to bring her back to Bangladesh, and the process is being pursued through legal procedures.

When asked about a report in an Indian media outlet suggesting that bringing Hasina back might require permission from an Indian court, the chief prosecutor said the report did not clarify whether Hasina is in India under political asylum or what her current legal status is. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to make any specific comment based on that report.

Aminul Islam said Bangladesh has not yet confirmed with certainty what status Sheikh Hasina is holding in India. The legal context behind the reported requirement for Indian court approval is also not clear to Bangladesh. He said the government has already taken the necessary legal steps to bring her back.

When journalists asked whether the case of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed in Meghalaya, India, had any legal connection to Hasina's matter, the chief prosecutor dismissed it. He said Salahuddin Ahmed was abducted from Bangladesh and taken to India in 2015. He was later found in Shillong, where he was acquitted in a case, and subsequently returned to Bangladesh. Hasina's case is entirely different.

Meanwhile, Aminul Islam also said sufficient evidence has been presented before the tribunal against seven accused, including former minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, for their alleged roles in the July movement. He claimed that around 1,400 people were killed and nearly 30,000 injured due to the role of the accused in the movement, and they expect the tribunal to hand down the maximum punishment.