Dhaka seek her extradition from Delhi
Dhaka: Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina was on Monday sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal for “crimes against humanity” committed during the wide-spread protests against her government in July last year.
Hasina, 78, who has been living in India since her government was toppled on August 5 last year, was sentenced by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD).
She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court.
Reading out the judgment before a heavily guarded courtroom in Dhaka, the tribunal said the prosecution had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Hasina was behind the deadly crackdown on student-led protests between July 15 and August 15 last year.
A UN rights office report had earlier estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed during the month-long agitation, known as the July Uprising.
Hasina was handed the death penalty for ordering the use of deadly force against unarmed protesters, making inflammatory statements and authorising operations that led to the killing of several students in Dhaka and surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh on Monday urged India to immediately extradite deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, hours after a special tribunal sentenced them to death in absentia for “crimes against humanity”.
“We urge the Indian government to immediately hand over these two convicted individuals to the Bangladeshi authorities,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to the state-run BSS news agency.
It said the existing bilateral extradition agreement between Bangladesh and India marks the transfer of the two convicts as a “compulsory responsibility” for New Delhi.
The ministry also said that granting shelter to individuals convicted of crimes against humanity would be considered an “unfriendly act” and a disregard for justice.
The International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh (ICT-BD) on Monday sentenced Hasina and Kamal to death in absentia for “crimes against humanity” during last year’s student uprising.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court. Kamal is also believed to be in India.
In December last year, Bangladesh sent India a note verbale, requesting Hasina’s extradition. India confirmed receipt of the formal diplomatic note but did not comment further.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said his ministry will formally send a letter to New Delhi seeking the repatriation of the “fugitive convicts” Hasina and Kamal.
“We will officially communicate our position to India. Whether the letter goes tonight or tomorrow, it will certainly go,” he told reporters.
Responding to a question, he said Dhaka had earlier sent a request seeking Hasina’s return but received no response. “Now the situation is different … the judicial process has been completed and they have been convicted,” he added.
Touhid said Bangladesh will place its request under the existing extradition treaty with India.
On what Dhaka would do if India refuses to hand over Sheikh Hasina, he replied, “We will address that situation when it arises.”
Separately, both Legal Adviser Asif Nazrul and Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said they want the repatriation of Hasina.
“If India continues to shelter this mass murderer, then India must understand that it is an act of hostility…,” Nazrul was quoted as saying by the Bangla-language daily Prothom Alo.
Nazrul described the death sentence to Hasina as the “greatest event of establishing justice on the soil of Bangladesh.”
“I am not surprised (by the verdict). Given the fresh, irrefutable and strong evidence of crimes against humanity committed by Hasina and her associates, they should be given the maximum punishment if tried in any court in the world,” he said.
Former premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party criticised India for giving shelter to “fugitive” Hasina.
“India has given shelter to a fugitive criminal. But the country is giving her the chance to do sabotage against Bangladesh, and this is not a lawful behaviour from India. This is very unfortunate,” BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper.
Speaking at a press conference, the BNP leader said a country like India, which upholds democracy and has an independent judiciary, should not allow Hasina the space to engage in wrongful activities.
Right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami also urged India to extradite Hasina.
“If one claims to behave as a good neighbour, if one aspires to maintain friendly relations, this is their foremost responsibility,” Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said, referring to Hasina’s extradition.
“We demand that she be returned to Bangladesh,” he added.
National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam urged for speedy execution of the death sentence given to Hasina.
“Sheikh Hasina must be brought back to Bangladesh and the death sentence executed within a month,” he told reporters.
“This verdict will set an example not only for Bangladesh but also for tyrannical and fascist rulers around the world,” said Nahid.
Earlier, NCP Member-Secretary Akhter Hossain said the death sentence given to Hasina represents “appropriate justice”.
He urged both the Bangladesh government to swiftly enforce the verdict and the Indian government to return her to Dhaka.
“We call upon the Government of India not to give refuge to Sheikh Hasina. She carried out genocide against the people of Bangladesh and committed crimes against humanity. India must hand her over to Bangladesh’s justice system,” he said in a video message.
