Passport issue a legal, technical matter: India
India has reiterated that Bangladesh’s request for the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina will be handled through legal channels, while declining to clarify whether a passport
or other travel document is essential for handing her over.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the remarks at a media briefing in New Delhi on Monday, responding to questions about the legal and procedural aspects of extraditing a person without a passport.
“You are asking a technical question. This is a legal matter and will be dealt with accordingly,” he said.
“Obviously, for people to travel, you need a travel document. That is what I understand. But it is a technical question,” he added.
Asked about reports that Hasina’s lawyers had written to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi seeking a passport and national identity card for her return to Bangladesh, Jaiswal referred the matter to the mission.
“This is essentially a question you better ask the Bangladesh High Commission. They will be able to convey to you what sense they have on the issue,” he said.
On Dhaka’s request for Hasina’s extradition, the spokesperson maintained that the matter would proceed through established legal procedures.
“We have said before that [extradition] is a legal matter. It will be carried forward and dealt with accordingly,” he said.
Hasina has been living in New Delhi since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024, following the fall of her Awami League government amid the July Uprising.
She was subsequently tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal and sentenced to death in a case concerning the crackdown during the July-August 2024 uprising.
No update on Ganges treaty
On the future of the India-Bangladesh Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, which is due to expire on 12 December 2026, Jaiswal said there was no fresh development to report.
“I have no update on this. Please refer to my earlier remarks on the issue,” he said.
In previous media briefings, the spokesperson said issues concerning the sharing of Ganges water, like those involving other transboundary rivers, were addressed through the Joint Rivers Commission.
Asked whether Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman might visit India in November or December, Jaiswal also said he had no update on the matter.