Hasina’s passport application ‘will increase pressure on India to return her’: Asif Nazrul

Dr Asif Nazrul, law adviser to the former interim government, has sharply criticised ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s application for a new passport. He believes the application itself shows that conditions exist for her to return to Bangladesh and face judicial proceedings.

In a statement on social media, Dr Asif Nazrul said, "Sheikh Hasina has sought a passport to come to Bangladesh. That means she believes conditions exist for her to come to Bangladesh and face trial. But the problem is that she is a convicted offender. The Bangladesh government has already written to India seeking her extradition as a convicted offender."

He also noted that handing over a convicted offender does not require a new passport. Under the bilateral extradition treaty, the Indian government can arrest her and hand her over to Bangladesh if it wishes.

Arguing that Hasina’s move sent the wrong political signal, he said, "By seeking a passport, Sheikh Hasina has made the prosecution’s task easier. The Bangladesh government can now argue forcefully that she dares to return precisely because justice exists in the country. As a result, the argument made until now against returning her on the grounds that the trial is politically motivated will no longer be tenable."

Dr Asif Nazrul concluded by writing, "Sheikh Hasina, you have made a mistake. Everyone understands that you will not return home. You are needlessly putting the party’s rank-and-file leaders and activists at greater risk."