Govt prioritising Hasina’s extradition for trial: Shafiqul

NN Online:

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said one of the government’s main objectives is to facilitate the return of Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh for trial.

He made these remarks during a briefing at the city’s Foreign Service Academy on Tuesday.

In response to a question on the possibility of Hasina’s trial in absentia if India does not return the ousted prime minister, the press secretary said, “Following the United Nations’ report, pressure is mounting to repatriate her.

“For this reason, India Today conducted a survey revealing that 55 per cent of respondents favour sending Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh, while some advocate for her relocation to another country. Around 16-17 per cent of participants wish for her to stay in India. A recent 127-page UN report has condemned her brutal dictatorship over the past 15-16 years.”

The press secretary further said, “I believe the pressure will only increase following the UN report. We have formally requested India for her extradition, and our efforts will continue. We are determined to bring her back and put her on trial. The people of Bangladesh demand justice, and ensuring her legal accountability is our highest priority. We are taking all necessary steps to achieve this.”

The interim government will soon form a high-level committee to investigate corruption and irregularities committed in the ICT sector during the deposed regime of Sheikh Hasina. “Many reports on corruption in ICT and digitalisation were published in newspapers and we read those. Chief Adviser Professor Yunus wanted a whitepaper to be published to this end,” he added.

He said the high-powered body comprising the world’s renowned economists and ICT experts will be formed within a day or two to prepare the whitepaper.

The press secretary said the committee will probe how corruption was committed and how much money was pilfered and laundered from the ICT sector in the name of digitalisation during the fallen regime. The committee is expected to present the whitepaper within two months.

Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder was present at the press briefing.