Dhaka, Jan 9 (UNI) Following reports of India extending the visa of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson Rafiqul Alam said that her visa extension has no bearing on the issue of her extradition.
Addressing a weekly press briefing in Dhaka, Alam when asked about the matter, said: “As a Bangladeshi citizen, we have requested India to return Sheikh Hasina. Her status in India has no relevance to this request. It is not a matter of our concern,” according to The Business Standard BD.
Regarding reports that Hasina’s Indian visa has been extended despite her Bangladeshi passport being revoked, he said, “Usually, when a passport is revoked, the visa becomes irrelevant. Beyond this, we do not have additional information, so we will not speculate.”
The interim government of Mohammed Yunus has repeatedly asked New Delhi to return Hasina to Bangladesh, including sending a note verbale officially requesting her repatriation. However, India has maintained silence on the issue.
The MoFA spokesperson further explained that when a Bangladeshi citizen’s passport is cancelled, the government of the respective country is informed through Bangladesh’s missions. In such cases, a visa is no longer required.
With no answer forthcoming from India to the note verbale regarding the former PM’s extradition, Rafiqul Alam when asked about the delay and the diplomatic process involved, said “There is no black-and-white answer to this. We will wait for India’s response.”
In response to a question about whether Bangladesh would limit visas for Indian citizens, the spokesperson said, “This is a matter for the Ministry of Home Affairs.”
Hasina has been living in India since August 5 last year when she fled Dhaka in the face of a massive “student-led” uprising. The country is being ruled by an army-backed Interim Government led by Chief Advisor Mohmmed Yunus.
