When will Bangladesh seek extradition of Sheikh Hasina from India? Interim leader Muhammad Yunus clears the air- The Week

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus has said that the country has no immediate plans to seek the extradition of Sheikh Hasina from India. The former Bangladesh Prime Minister fled Dhaka to India in August after rebellion in the country.

Yunus, in an exclusive interview with UK-based Financial Times, outlined the country’s plans for Hasina’s extradition, stating that Bangladesh would seek Hasina’s return only after a verdict had been reached by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh) on the cases against her. The court had issued an arrest warrant against her in October.

“She is charged with crimes against humanity . . . when the verdict comes out, we’ll try to get her back through the extradition treaty with India,” he said. “I don’t think we have a case to do that before a verdict is done.”

The government’s stance on delaying the extradition request is also seen as a tactic to avoid diplomatic tensions between Bangladesh and India.

Yunus also slammed Hasina’s Awami League stating that the party exhibited all characteristics of fascism and had no place in the country’s politics now.  However, his interim government would not decide the fate of Awami League as it was not a political government, he said.

Yunus added that any decision on whether the League could participate in a future election would be decided by a consensus” of political parties themselves.

Meanwhile, analysts say that it is not easy to convict Hasina as the system to prosecute and punish high-ranking officials is often problematic. Legal experts say it could be difficult to prove that Hasina ordered law enforcement agencies to open fire on students during the protests due to the lack of documented evidence.

Even if the evidence is adequate, a conviction could be thwarted by political hurdles as Hasina still has a strong support base within the Awami League. Her supporters could project her prosecution as a personal attack on Hasina and her legacy, triggering violence and unrest among them, according to The Diplomat.

This will have a great impact on the political polarisation in the country which could affect Bangladesh’s fragile democratic fabric. Besides it will also set a bad precedent, prompting other leaders to keep an authoritarian grip on power for the fear of sharing Hasina’s fate.

There could also be pressure from neighbours, including India and China, as Hasina shared a warm relationship with both countries.