Indian Ministry of External Affairs

Delhi examining request for Hasina’s extradition; Dhaka expects response

India on Wednesday (November 26) said it has received a request from Bangladesh for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, stating that the request is being examined. “Yes, we have received the request and this request is being examined,” Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters while responding to a question at a regular briefing in New Delhi. He said they, as part of ongoing judicial and internal legal processes, remain committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in ‘peace, democracy, inclusion and stability’ in that country. Read more: ICT releases full verdict on Hasina, Kamal’s death penalty The MEA spokesperson reiterated that they will always engage ‘constructively’ with all stakeholders to that end. Earlier, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said Bangladesh expects an answer from India on its latest request for extradition of convicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “I do not expect that they will answer within a week of Dhaka’s request but we expect we will get an answer,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday when a journalist wanted to know about the update on Hasina’s extradition request. When pressed further, Hossain said he is not saying that Dhaka is not going to get an answer but the fact is that they are not expecting a reply within seven days. Bangladesh wrote to India afresh seeking Hasina’s extradition following the recent verdict by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 against her. Adviser Hossain said the diplomatic note (note verbale) was sent to the Ministry of External Affairs, India through Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. He also acknowledged that Bangladesh did not receive a reply from India on its first request for extradition last year. On November 17, the ICT sentenced Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death in a case filed over crimes against humanity committed during last year’s July-August mass uprising. Former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who testified as a state witness in the case, was sentenced to five years in prison. Read more: Dhaka expects answer from Delhi on Hasina's extradition: Foreign Adviser The Foreign Affairs Adviser on Sunday (November 23) disclosed the fresh diplomatic communication with New Delhi A diplomatic source in New Delhi told UNB that the diplomatic note (note verbale) was sent to New Delhi soon after National Security Adviser (NSA) and High Representative for the Rohingya Issue Dr Khalilur Rahman’s returns home from New Delhi. Dr Rahman attended the 7th meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) in New Delhi on November 20 at the invitation of Indian NSA Ajit Doval. After the verdict, Bangladesh urged the government of India to immediately hand over former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, both convicted already, to its authorities. This is also an obligation for India under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement. "It would be a grave act of unfriendly conduct and a travesty of justice for any other country to grant shelter to these individuals convicted of crimes against humanity," it said. Read more: India’s Lt Gen Manish Luthra highlights Bangladesh-India friendship

9 days ago

India for 'inclusive, fair, free' polls in Bangladesh at an early date

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said Bangladesh needs to 'ascertain the will and mandate' of the people by holding an 'inclusive, fair and free' elections at an early date. “We have articulated our position very clearly, as far as elections in Bangladesh are concerned, and we have done so consistently,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal while responding to a question at a regular briefing in New Delhi. A journalist drew his attention regarding statements linking the problems in Bangladesh to India's hegemony. In reply Jaiswal said as far as the government there (in Bangladesh) is concerned, it is their personal responsibility to handle any governmental or governance-related issues or problems there. Announce specific date to hold election by December: Tarique Rahman “When statements of this sort came it seems like you want to deflect in another direction from your own challenges related to governance there — and to blame others by saying that these extraneous issues caused by others are the reason for these problems — does not solve the issue,” he said. On May 25, President of Nagorik Oikya Mahmudur Rahman Manna said Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus told them that the country is in a big crisis due to Indian hegemony. "He (Prof Yunus) started the discussion by saying that we are in a very big crisis. He talked about the conspiracy of Indian hegemony while referring to this crisis. Indian hegemony does not want to accept this change (here) at all. If they can, they want to destroy us in one day, and they are doing whatever they need to do for that. These were his words," Manna said quoting the Chief Adviser. Election in Bangladesh by June next year, Yunus tells Japan’s Taro Aso Jaiswal said they want a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh, one that is anchored in meeting the aspirations and the interest of people of both sides.

6 months ago

No update yet on Dr Yunus-Modi possible talks at Bimstec: MEA

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said they have no update to share regarding a likely bilateral meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Bimstec Summit in Bangkok, Thailand early next month. “On the meeting that you asked, a bilateral meeting, I don't have any update to share at this point in time,” said MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. He made the remarks at a weekly briefing in New Delhi when a journalist wanted to know whether there was a likelihood of Prime Minister Modi meeting the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh Prof Yunus on the sidelines of the Bimstec Summit. Responding to a separate question, the MEA Spokesperson said Bangladesh-India relationship is a wide canvas and they have been engaged with Bangladesh on several issues - development cooperation, economic matters and on issues of connectivity. Earlier, Bangladesh approached India through the diplomatic channel to arrange a meeting between Dr Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the upcoming Bimstec Summit in Bangkok. Dr Yunus is scheduled to attend the Bimstec Summit, to be held on April 4 in Bangkok, raising hope for a first-ever in person meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines. Rohingyas are victims of racial discrimination and prolonged statelessness: Prof Yunus Thailand will host the 6th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BImstec) and Bangladesh will take responsibility as the next chair of Bimstec there, officials said. Thailand has taken over the Bimstec Chairmanship from Sri Lanka since 30 March 2022. Bimstec consists of seven member countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Bimstec Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey recently said the Summit will have some significant outcomes. "It will set a direction for the future of Bimstec," he said. Dr Yunus said Dhaka has always insisted that Bangladesh’s relationship with India will be the best relationship ever. Because, he explained, the fate of Bangladesh and India is tied together and they cannot be isolated from each other. “So, we are always encouraging everything to happen in the best possible way,” Dr Yunus told BBC in a most recent interview, adding that the clouds due to some fake news are not part of the relationship that the two countries enjoy. The Chief Adviser thinks Bangladesh and India have an excellent relationship. “We will continue to do it,” he said, describing India as a good business partner of Bangladesh. Dr Yunus is scheduled to leave Dhaka on March 26 for China and both the countries are looking forward to a bilateral meeting on March 28 in Beijing between the two leaders – Dr Yunus and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

8 months ago

India’s future and security linked with Bangladesh, says senior MEA official

Smita Pant, a senior official at the Bangladesh, Myanmar Division of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, said on Tuesday (August 15, 2023) that India's future, particularly its security, is inextricably connected with Bangladesh. Together, Bangladesh and India can achieve a lot, particularly in renewable energy and Sunderbans delta protection, she said. Smita Pant was addressing an event commemorating the martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, reports Times Now News. Read: Indian MEA spokesperson laughs off speculation on military intervention in Dhaka ahead of election Bangabandhu and his family members were killed in cold blood in 1975, said Pant, adding, the perpetrators, however, were unable to eliminate his values. The dreams of Bangabandhu, "who has few equals in history," are coming true today, she said. The people have rejected extremism, Bangladesh is on its road to becoming a middle-income country, and it provides more UN peacekeepers than almost any other country, the MEA official said. The High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Mohammed Mustafizur Rahman, opened the discussion by saying that Bangabandhu's “struggle and sacrifice in realizing the rights of the deprived and the downtrodden remains a model for the international community. He developed his political philosophy from his experience, in fighting for equality, justice, fundamental human rights, and most particularly, realizing the right to self-determination. In his maiden speech at the United Nations in 1974, Bangabandhu alluded to the overriding importance of ensuring peace and justice for all. He said and I quote, ‘The very struggle of Bangladesh symbolized the universal struggle for peace and justice.' Read: India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi calls for army deployment to end ethnic violence in Manipur “The same voice was echoed at the NAM Summit held in Algiers in 1973, where Bangabandhu said, ‘The world is divided between those who are the oppressors and those who are the oppressed…. We stand for those who are oppressed and those who stand by them in their just struggle for liberation from oppression.’ “The assassins killed Bangabandhu, but they could not wipe out, or erase, the principles and ideals of this great man. His teachings, ideologies and spirit remain deeply ingrained in our hearts,” the report quoted the Bangladesh high commissioner as saying. Bangladesh has made significant progress, according to the high commissioner, "including in the areas of poverty reduction, education, health, and women empowerment." Pankaj Saran, former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, agreed that Bangladesh's socioeconomic statistics were now better than those of Pakistan and, in certain circumstances, India. It was Bangabandhu who envisioned a thriving Bangladesh and good relations with India, he said. Read more: Bangladesh, India trade transactions in rupees will ease pressure on forex reserves: High Commissioner

2 years ago