If India does not return Sheikh Hasina, she will be trialed in her absence, said chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Mohammad Tajul Islam.
He said this in response to a question from reporters after a workshop at the PTI auditorium in Sylhet city on Saturday.
Mohammad Tajul Islam said, "The trial of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will begin in one and a half months. I hope to receive the investigation report of the special cases filed against her within a few months. Once we receive the report, the formal trial process will begin."
Regarding the return of Sheikh Hasina, he said, "One is that the government is continuing to try to arrest her by issuing a red notice through Interpol. I have received an arrest warrant from the tribunal which will be sent to Interpol so that she is arrested. Another is that Hasina is in India and we have an extradition agreement with that country. According to the terms of that agreement, if any accused that has fled from Bangladesh is in India, we will request them to return him and according to the agreement, and they are obliged to do so. The request has been made by Bangladesh. They have received it, but so far they have not responded.”
Mohammad Tajul Islam said, “Now India has to decide whether they will take a stand for a criminal or take their stand for the rule of law on the issue of genocide and justice. That is why we hope that if India respects the law, it will extradite Sheikh Hasina. Otherwise the trial will continue in Bangladesh’s judicial system in her absence according to the law.”
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
