Bangladesh officially requests India to send back former PM Sheikh Hasina

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5 after being overthrown by a student-led revolution, and Bangladesh has formally asked India to repatriate her.

According to local media sources, Touhid Hossain, the Foreign Affairs Advisor for Bangladesh’s Interim administration, said that the request was sent to the Indian government via a “note verbale.”

Telling reporters, “We have sent a note verbale to India requesting to send Sheikh Hasina back,” Touhid Hossain said.

Following weeks of demonstrations and skirmishes that claimed over 600 lives, a student-led movement overthrew Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on August 5. A provisional administration headed by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was established when Hasina, 76, fled to India.

Sheikh Hasina claimed earlier on December 9 that Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim administration, was the “mastermind” behind the student demonstrations that resulted in her removal. She further claimed that the demonstration was “meticulously designed” to topple her government.

Hasina said that the unrest was a deliberate plot when speaking at a virtual gathering of the UK Awami League. She said that even if all of the protestors’ requests were fulfilled, the turmoil persisted across the country.

Hasina said that Yunus was the “mastermind” of the demonstrations that resulted in her dismissal and that they were “meticulously designed” to topple her administration.

“Yunus himself claimed that the July 7, 2024, student revolt was a well planned attempt to topple me rather than being student-initiated.Despite nationwide demonstrations, he was the architect behind this plan as all requests were satisfied and there was no room for opposition.”It was an elaborate plot,” said Hasina.

She went on to denounce the interim administration as “fascist” for its handling of the country’s predicament and claim that the people of Bangladesh were being “deprived” of their rights.

“Bangladesh is now experiencing a difficult period. The people of Bangladesh have been denied their rights under a fascist regime. Bangladesh as a whole is on fire.”Bangladesh is being destroyed today,” she continued.

The outgoing Prime Minister also pointed out that Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former ISKCON priest, was recently arrested by the Bangladeshi government on alleged sedition charges. He claimed that this was evidence that Bangladesh lacks law and order because he was unable to hire an attorney to defend Das against the charges.

“They said that Chinmoy Krishna Das could not have a lawyer of any sort defending him, therefore they arrested him. What justice does this represent?”This demonstrates that Bangladesh lacks law and order,” she said.

Hasina has criticized the interim administration for its handling of the crisis, labeling it “fascist” and asserting that the people of Bangladesh are being denied their rights, and the situation in Bangladesh is still tense. With many worried about the ramifications of Hasina’s possible extradition, the world community is keenly monitoring the events.