BNP urges India to extradite Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh for trial
- In Reports
- 01:20 PM, Aug 21, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has called on India to return former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh so she can face trial. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accused Hasina of plotting against the recent uprising in Bangladesh while staying in India.
"We ask India to hand her over to the government of Bangladesh legally. The people here have decided she should be tried. Let her face that trial," Mirza Fakhrul said, as reported by Dhaka Tribune.
He also criticised India for sheltering Hasina, saying, "By staying in India, she has started various plots to stop the revolution in Bangladesh."
Mirza Fakhrul blamed Hasina for weakening the country's independence and slowing progress during her 15 years in power. "People in Bangladesh do not see her crimes as minor," he said, calling her rule "fascist." He claimed that under her leadership, Bangladesh accumulated Tk 18 lakh crores in debt and accused her of taking nearly $100 billion out of the country. He also said that her rule destroyed many of the country's institutions.
Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5, seeking refuge in India after weeks of violent protests. The protests, initially led by students over government job quotas for the families of freedom fighters, quickly grew into a larger movement against what many saw as Hasina's increasingly authoritarian rule.
These latest remarks from Mirza Fakhrul come just days after he expressed concern to ABP LIVE that India is ignoring the will of the Bangladeshi people, which led to the mass protests that ousted Hasina. While noting that the BNP had a "warm relationship" with India when it was in power, he acknowledged that there is now a "distance" between the two.
He also mentioned that if Hasina wanted to return to Bangladesh with democratic intentions, she could—but she would still need to face trial. "She has destroyed the nation, the economy, and has been responsible for ruthless killings. She must be held accountable, and that will happen," he said.
Hasina is facing 31 legal cases in Bangladesh, including 26 for murder, four for crimes against humanity and genocide, and one for abduction, according to The Daily Star. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, and sister, Sheikh Rehana, are also named in one of the murder cases.
Image source: NewsBytes
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