Bangladesh wants former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who faces the death penalty, to be extradited from India under the existing extradition treaty, while India has said that travel documents are required for people to travel.
“Obviously for travel of people, you need a travel document. That is what I understand. But again, this is a technical matter, and I'll come back to you,” Official Spokesperson at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday.
He made the remarks when a reporter asked whether a person could be extradited without a passport or whether a passport is essential for extradition.
The MEA Spokesperson, however, said Hasina’s extradition issue is a legal matter which will be dealt with accordingly.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Monday said Bangladesh does not issue passports to “convicted and fled terrorists”.
However, he did not comment on whether the government will provide any one-way travel permit to Hasina, who reportedly wants to return to Bangladesh by December this year.
Bangladesh referred to the existing extradition treaty with India and said Hasina needs to be handed over under the treaty.
Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Md Aminul Islam on Tuesday said Hasina has no legal recourse left to challenge the verdict, as the 30-day appeal period has expired.
“If she genuinely wanted to return to Bangladesh, she would have come back while the trial was ongoing and faced the case. She would also have returned within 30 days of the publication of the verdict to file an appeal,”he told reporters at the tribunal.
Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman dismissed reports that Hasina had applied for a passport, saying no application had been submitted by her personally.
"A law firm sent a letter requesting arrangements to issue a passport for Sheikh Hasina. However, a passport application must be made by the individual concerned, and Sheikh Hasina herself has not submitted any application. So, this discussion is no longer necessary," he said in response to reporters’ questions at the government’s weekly progress briefing at the Secretariat.
In a letter seen by The Associated Press that was emailed to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, Hasina’s counsel urged the top diplomat to take necessary action to provide her with a passport and national identity card.
The letter, sent by London-based law firm Matrix Chambers, asked the mission for the application to be processed “expeditiously” on the basis of Hasina’s Bangladeshi nationality and in accordance with “obligations arising under international human rights instruments.”
A diplomatic source told UNB that the letter, sent via email and addressed to Acting High Commissioner Preeti Rahman, was shared with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A journalist drew attention to a report published by Prothom Alo, which said that Chinese nationals were livestreaming throughout the day, from morning till night, even entering people's homes.
In response, the MEA Spokesperson said they have seen media reports in this regard and such effort to present picture of any country is unfortunate.
“I must say, insofar as efforts to by foreign elements, to portray Dhaka as Delhi are concerned, peddling of false narratives only undermines the credibility of those who are undertaking such actions, and those who are behind them, and we would urge that authorities concerned must take action against such people,” Jaiswal said.