DHAKA, Dec 24 : A day after forwarding a formal request to India asking for the repatriation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry has said that it will take its next steps in accordance to India’s response, or lack thereof.
Speaking at the weekly press briefing at the ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mohammad Rafiqul Alam said, “Bangladesh will wait for a normal period for India’s reply to its note verbale. If no response comes during the period, Bangladesh will send a reminder letter to India,” as per the Dhaka Tribune.
When asked how long the aforementioned waiting period could be, he added that it depends on the issue being discussed. “The issue of our discussion is very sensitive. We cannot bracket it within a normal period. Sometimes it takes years for an issue to be resolved.”
The country’s Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain during a briefing at the ministry office on Monday, said, “We have issued a note verbale (a form of diplomatic correspondence) to the Indian government, stating that Bangladesh seeks her (Hasina’s) return to face judicial proceedings.”
Dhaka forwarded the request to New Delhi on December 23, though the latter has refused to comment, saying that it has nothing to add. This has been India’s standard position ever since the ex-PM fled to India along with her sister Sheikh Rehana, following the August 5 ‘student uprising’ which led to the ouster of her Awami League government.
While the army backed-Mohammed Yunus led interim government has repeatedly said that India must repatriate Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh, New Delhi has maintained silence on the issue.
India’s silence on the issue has also been a point of contention between the two nations.
(UNI)
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