Is Sheikh Hasina returning to Bangladesh? War crimes tribunal gears up to seek extradition from India

The Bangladeshi war crimes tribunal is working on an extradition request for Sheikh Hasina amid allegations that she carried out ‘massacres’. The development came mere days after interim leader Muhammad Yunus said the Awami League chief should ‘keep quiet’ in India until “Bangladesh wants her back”. 

The newly appointed Bangladesh administration has been facing increasing public pressure to demand a trial for Hasina. She has been deemed the ‘main perpetrator’ in the death of hundreds of protesters during the weeks of unrest leading up to the fall of the government. 

The ICT launched an investigation against Hasina and nine others last month on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity that took place from July 15 to August 5. Bangladesh has already revoked her diplomatic passport recently indicated plans to issue an arrest warrant for Hasina. 

New Delhi and Dhaka have a a bilateral extradition treaty which would permit her return for a criminal trial. A clause in the treaty, however, says extradition might be refused if the offence is of a "political character".

Mohammad Tajul Islam — the chief prosecutor of the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal — told reporters on Sunday that it would soon start the legal proceedure to bring Hasina back. 

“Bangladesh has a criminal extradition treaty with India which was signed in 2013, while Sheikh Hasina's government was in power. As she has been made the main accused of the massacres in Bangladesh, we will try to legally bring her back to Bangladesh to face trial,” he added.

The ICT was incidentally set up by the former PM in 2010 to probe atrocities during the 1971 independence war from Pakistan.

Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy had earlier insisted that the former Prime Minister had not applied for asylum and intended to return to her own country soon.

“There is a lot of misinformation. She has not applied for asylum anywhere, whether in the UK, the US, or Finland. She has no plans to go far from her country. She intends to return to Bangladesh soon,” he told AajTak Bangla last month.

(With inputs from agencies)