State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Sunday said Bangladesh expects India to expedite the ongoing extradition process to bring back accused individuals, including convicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as swiftly as possible, stressing that political intent is equally important alongside legal procedures.

“While legal procedures must be respected, political intent is equally crucial. We hope the government of India will focus on expediting the ongoing extradition process to bring the accused back,” she told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when her attention was drawn to Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi’s comments.

Both countries must have political will, Shama said, noting that the government of Bangladesh certainly has the political will and that the Indian government needs to have it as well.

The State Minister said it is entirely possible to extradite the accused under the framework of the extradition treaty and that the legal process is actively being pursued.

"To give you a straight answer, again and again, the government of India, through the Spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has replied to this that there is a process, and the process involves legality, and it is well structured. So, as far as that is concerned, the process is on,” Trivedi said on Saturday.

The courts are involved in the matter and, therefore, “nobody can give you a timeframe,” he said at a discussion titled “Power and Prudence: Managing Great-Power Competition without Conflict” as part of the ongoing Bay of Bengal Conversation in Dhaka.

The Indian High Commissioner highlighted the need for continuous dialogue, mutual respect and trust between the two countries to address bilateral issues, saying every issue between the two neighbours has a solution.

“There’s no point hiding the issues, and there’s no point not talking about the issues,” he said.

Trivedi, who faced a couple of questions, said the two countries need to discuss all outstanding issues, including water, trade, culture, sports, communication and transportation, through appropriate forums.

“In a democracy, the dialogue has to be there at the proper forum. And the dialogue has to be a continuous dialogue,” he said, noting that the process of engagement between the two countries may be slow, but it has not stopped.

“I can guarantee you, there is no stoppage of process. The process is ongoing,” Trivedi said. “Believe me, there has to be a solution, and there will be a solution,” the Indian diplomat added.