One of India’s worst fears seems to be coming through. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has demanded that India must extradite embattled prime minister Sheikh Hasina so that she can be tried for the crimes and criminal cases against her.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told News18, “It is our call to you that you should hand her over to the government of Bangladesh in a legal way. The people of this country have given the decision for her trial. Let her face that trial. Why did she run away? She should be here to face trial. India can’t keep shielding her forever.”
This has put India in a fix. India has an extradition treaty with Bangladesh, so it can ask for extradition if prosecution charges are moved against Sheikh Hasina. But there is one situation in which this treaty may not apply.
The treaty was signed in 2013 but there was an amendment in 2016 as per which it allowed exchange of convicts sentenced for more than a year in prison but does not apply to political prisoners and asylum seekers.
The catch, as per experts, is two fold. If Hasina is being asked to be extradited as a political leader, India can always deny it. Secondly, the treaty says extradition also has a dual criminal clause. India can always say that a crime which is considered criminal in both countries can ensure she has to be sent back.
The problem is prickly for India. On one hand, India holds Sheikh Hasina to be its friend and doesn’t want to be pushed into handing her over, specially as it knows what it means for her. But on the other hand, not handing her over or dragging its feat could mean that India could antagonise its relations with the present and future regime in Bangladesh.
India is caught between the devil and deep sea and wanting to buy time.
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