Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, has again demanded India extradite deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on new allegations linking her to a brutal crackdown on student protesters. The demand came in response to a BBC report featuring an audio leak purportedly implicating Hasina in authorizing the use of force by the state.
On Wednesday, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Yunus, posted a message on X calling on India to rethink its position regarding Hasina’s extradition. “We now call on the Republic of India to exercise conscience and moral leadership… India can no longer shield a person credibly charged with crimes against humanity,” Alam said, echoing Bangladesh’s diplomatic overture made last December.
BBC Leak Sparks Global Attention
The BBC Bangla department issued a recent report of its Eye Investigations department, stating that it was in possession of a leaked telephone call in which Hasina is heard ordering security forces to “shoot” student protesters during the extensive 2024 disturbances. The interim government asserts that the recording identifies her as being directly implicated in “state-sanctioned murder.
India’s continued shielding of Sheikh Hasina is no longer sustainable,” Alam said. He also added, “No regional friendship, no strategic reasoning, no political heritage could justify or whitewash the intentional killing of civilians.”
Tribunal to Decide on Charges Against Hasina
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal-1 has scheduled July 10 to decide whether to formally charge Hasina and two of her close aides. The tribunal had already sentenced her in absentia last week to six months in prison for contempt of court.
The charges stem from last year’s anti-government protests, which the United Nations reported resulted in up to 1,400 civilian deaths during a month-long crackdown ordered by Hasina’s administration.
Rise Resulted in Toppling of Hasina’s Government
The demonstrations, which intensified from July 15 to August 15, 2024, ultimately resulted in the downfall of the almost 16-year Awami League regime. Sheikh Hasina went into exile on August 5, with India serving as her temporary asylum.
Ever since, numerous former ministers and high-ranking officials of the Awami League have either been arrested or have gone into hiding both locally and abroad.
Yunus claimed he had raised the issue personally with Indian authorities at the BIMSTEC summit in Thailand. Despite previous diplomatic quiet, the interim administration hopes the publication of the BBC investigation will put pressure on New Delhi to reconsider its stance.
ICP Emphasizes International Accountability
Alam ended the statement by stating that “when a global institution like the BBC commits substantial resources to pursuing crimes in Bangladesh, the international community cannot turn a blind eye to the evidence.”
There’s a mounting pressure, and the government under Yunus intends to seek international legal avenues in case India fails to act on their fresh extradition request.