Bangladesh national security adviser Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday discussed ‘key bilateral issues’ with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval in New Delhi amid Dhaka’s renewed call for the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina sheltered in India.
‘Bangladesh delegation to the seventh NSA-level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave, led by the national security adviser, Khalilur Rahman, met with the national security adviser of India, Ajit Doval, and his team today [Wednesday] in Delhi,’ said a press release issued by the Bangladesh High Commission in India’s capital New Delhi.
They discussed work of CSC and key bilateral issues, the release mentioned without further details regarding the issues.
Khalilur invited Ajit Doval to visit Bangladesh at the latter’s convenience, it mentioned.
Neither the Bangladesh mission in Delhi nor the Bangladesh foreign ministry made it clear whether the issue of extradition of Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the Awami League, and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan was discussed at the meeting.
Foreign ministry officials, however, said that a fresh letter seeking the extradition was not sent to New Delhi till Wednesday evening although it was supposed to be sent by Tuesday.
Khalilur left Dhaka for New Delhi on Tuesday evening to join the NSA-level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave in November 19-20 while Dhaka was preparing to send a letter to New Delhi, requesting the extradition of Hasina and Asaduzzaman.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Monday sentenced Hasina and Asaduzzaman to death for committing crimes against humanity during the July–August 2024 mass uprising that ousted the Hasina-led regime on August 5 past year.
Following the verdict, the Bangladesh government on Monday called on the Indian government to extradite Hasina and Asaduzzaman, both are now in hiding in India.
In a statement, Dhaka also reminded New Delhi of the extradition treaty between the two countries for its compliance in the case.
‘Since they are staying there, we will send a letter to India for the extradition of Sheikh Hasina and Asduzzaman in a different context tonight or in the next morning as they are now convicted by the tribunal,’ foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters at his Segun Bagicha office in the capital Dhaka on Monday.
He, however, said that India had not yet responded to Dhaka’s formal request for extraditing Hasina, who fled to India for shelter on August 5, 2024, amid the student-led mass uprising, in the past 11 months.
Indian external affairs ministry in a statement posted on its web site on Monday said, ‘As a close neighbour, India remains committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country. We will always engage constructively with all stakeholders to that end.’
On December 23, 2024, the foreign ministry sent a note verbale to its Indian counterpart, requesting the extradition of Hasina who is facing charges of crimes against humanity committed during the July-August mass uprising, including scores of murder cases.
Hasina’s ouster from power led to the formation of the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus on August 8, 2024.