Bangladesh unrest: Dhaka may ask New Delhi to extradite Sheikh Hasina, report says

Bangladesh may ask India to extradite former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who resigned as prime minister and fled the country following nationwide student protests.

The country’s de facto foreign minister, Mohammad Touhid Hossain, said Dhaka is yet to decide whether to ask New Delhi to extradite Hasina, according to a Reuters news agency report. Hasina “is facing so many cases,” he said. If the home and law ministries in the country decide, “we have to ask for her … return to Bangladesh,” he said.

Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5 following a violent riot that left nearly 300 dead, including many students. She has already been named in two murder cases, along with senior members of her cabinet. Ataur Rahman, deputy director of the International Criminal Court’s investigative cell, said a third case had been launched against ten people, including Hasina, for murder, torture and genocide during the protests.

At least three of Hasina’s former ministers and advisers have been arrested in Bangladesh. In her only statement since being ousted, Hasina called for an investigation into the killings and vandalism during the protests. She has not commented on the allegations against her.

Hossain, a retired diplomat, is foreign affairs adviser in the interim government led by Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus, which was sworn in last week after Hasina’s ouster. The advisory board includes other retired officials, lawyers, student protest leaders and some opposition politicians.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s new caretaker government has prioritized improving law and order, according to the home ministry adviser. An interim government led by Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in after Hasina fled, with the aim of holding elections.

Hasina’s resignation led to both celebrations and violence, with her Dhaka residence ransacked and statues of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, defaced. There have been reports of vandalism and attacks on minorities. Hindus, who make up about 8 percent of Bangladesh’s population, have historically supported Hasina’s Awami League party. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council urged Yunus to protect minorities, citing attacks on Hindu homes, businesses and temples.