Bangladesh could ask for Sheikh Hasina's return from India as cases mount: Adviser

The Bangladesh interim government's foreign affairs adviser, Mohammed Touhid Hossain, has said that as cases mount against Sheikh Hasina, his country could consider seeking the extradition of the former premier.

In an exclusive interview to Reuters TV in Dhaka, Hossain said that "since there are so many cases" against Hasina in Bangladesh, the country's home and law ministries could make the request to extradite her.

"There are so many cases (against Hasina) ... I am not the right person to answer this (but) if there is a request from there (Ministry of Home and Ministry of Law) we have to ask for her ... return to Bangladesh. If there is a demand from there, that creates an embarrassing situation for the Indian government. So I think the Indian government knows this and I am sure they will take care of it", Hossain told Reuters TV.

Sheikh Hasina arrived in India on August 5, following an uprising led by students, which eventually turned violent. As per the Dhaka Tribune, a complaint has been lodged against Hasina and 24 others in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, for allegedly violating human rights.

The Bangladeshi media outlet said there were multiple cases filed against Hasina.

Elections

Regarding the possibility of elections in the violence-hit country, Hossain said there would be more clarity on the timeline by September.

"All my colleagues in the council of advisers are extremely busy with bringing back normalcy", he said. "I think from September, (normalcy and normal functions) will start."

On the issue of giving refuge to Rohingyas, Hossain underscored that Bangladesh has "done more than its share" and is "not in a position to allow any more Rohingyas to enter". He said that other countries, including India, should "take charge of that".

"We are not in a position to allow any more Rohingyas to enter. It's a humanitarian issue that involves the entire world, not only Bangladesh. We have done more than our share, and the world should take charge of that," Hossain said.

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