No legal bar to Hasina’s return Rumeen Farhana

Brahmanbaria-2 MP Rumeen Farhana said that deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina remains free to return to Bangladesh, insisting there is no legal barrier as long as she follows the country’s criminal procedure.

Speaking after an event in Brahmanbaria’s Sarail Upazila on Monday, Rumeen said Hasina could return to the country and follow the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) by surrendering and seeking bail.

“There is definitely no legal obstacle. [Hasina] could return, surrender, and seek bail following the procedure of our normal CrPC,” said the former BNP leader.

On a separate note, Rumeen said opposition parties in many democracies maintain a “shadow cabinet”. “If they [opposition in Bangladesh] do so in that capacity, we’ll definitely welcome it,” she said.

She added that other parties’ ministry-centred proposals, criticism of administrative shortcomings and recommendations should be viewed as “positive feedback”.