Will Sheikh Hasina return to Bangladesh? Yunus govt to ’decide on her extradition’ from India

Bangladesh's de-facto foreign minister Mohammad Touhid Hossain said on Thursday that the country will decide whether to ask India to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina had resigned and fled to India last week amid mass protests in the nation over a job quota bill. She is reportedly seeking refuse in other countries.

Hossain said in an interview he did not want to speculate, but noted that Hasina was facing "so many cases". If the country's home and law ministries decided, "we have to ask for her...return to Bangladesh", he was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying.

"That creates an embarrassing situation for the Indian government," he said, adding India "knows this and I am sure they will take care of it". He did not elaborate.

India's external affairs ministry did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

Cases against Hasina

Hasina fled the country for India on August 5 after a violent uprising against her led to nearly 300 people getting killed, including many students.

The former Bangladesh PM has reportedly been named in two murder cases already, along with senior members of her cabinet.

Ataur Rahman, deputy director of the investigation cell of International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic court, said it had launched a third case - an investigation against 10 people, including Hasina, for murder, torture and genocide during the period of the protests.

At least three of Hasina's former ministers and advisers have already been arrested in Bangladesh.

In a first reaction after the ouster, Sheikh Hasina, on Tuesday, issued a clarion call for justice in her first official statement since escaping the country. “I demand punishment for those responsible for the killings and sabotage, through investigation,” the ousted politician said.

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

(With inputs from Reuters)