State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has ruled out issuing a passport or travel pass to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, saying Bangladesh will seek her return from India solely through the existing bilateral extradition treaty.
“We have an extradition treaty (with India) for apprehending terrorists and criminals. A passport is not required to bring back terrorists or criminals. It is a matter of handing them over,” he said.
“Sheikh Hasina is a fugitive and a terrorist. She is not someone coming to visit her in-laws in Rangpur, for whom we would issue a passport so that she could travel here,” he added.
Humaiun made the remarks while speaking to journalists after seeing off a visiting Chinese delegation led by Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The state minister said there was no legal requirement to issue a regular passport or travel document to facilitate the return of a fugitive convicted of serious crimes, as the extradition treaty provided the legal framework for her return.
Referring to the legal process, he said judicial warrants and established procedures under the Bangladesh-India extradition treaty were sufficient to pursue Hasina’s return.
“There is a judicial warrant, there is an established judicial process, and there is an extradition treaty. Therefore, there is no need or requirement to issue or hand over a passport,” he said.
Humaiun accused the ousted prime minister of being responsible for the deaths of thousands of people before fleeing the country.
“A fugitive terrorist who fled the country after killing thousands of people, should we treat her as an ordinary commercial traveller and issue her a passport?” he asked.
Reiterating Dhaka’s position, he said Bangladesh was seeking Hasina’s formal handover by Indian authorities rather than facilitating her return through normal travel arrangements.
“We are demanding her handover. She should be handed over,” he said.
The state minister said the extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India provided the legal basis for seeking the transfer of individuals accused or convicted of serious criminal offences. Dhaka would pursue Hasina’s return through the established judicial and diplomatic mechanisms under the treaty, he added.
Asked about the proposed Bangladesh-China-Myanmar economic corridor, Humaiun said Dhaka saw no geopolitical complications surrounding the initiative, which could turn the region into a major trade and connectivity hub.
He said Bangladesh was keen to participate in the proposed regional corridor but stressed that a sustainable resolution to the Rohingya crisis must come before its implementation.
The state minister also expressed hope that Liu Haixing’s visit would strengthen Bangladesh-China relations, particularly in political, economic and strategic cooperation, and give fresh momentum to the longstanding bilateral partnership.
