The government wants to bring ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh rather than wait for her to return voluntarily, Information Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman said today.
“There is no tactic regarding bringing her back to the country,” he said at the government’s weekly press conference at the Secretariat, responding to a question about whether the government was using the demand for Hasina’s extradition to pressure India.
“The assumptions some are making about whether the government wants to bring Sheikh Hasina back are incorrect. The government has no tactic of demanding extradition merely to build pressure on India,” Zahed said.
“The matter was placed as a condition before the Indian government, and it was asked to take it seriously,” he added.
Referring to Hasina as an accused, absconding accused and convicted person sentenced to death, Zahed said the government wanted to bring her back through legal means.
“Even if she returns to the country, she will not have the opportunity to seek a review of the trial held against her,” he said, quoting the chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal.
“Technically, the situation now is that she will arrive and the death penalty awaits her. We want to bring her back by capturing her,” he added.
Zahed also expressed the government’s dissatisfaction over Hasina being allowed to give an interview to Indian media despite Bangladesh’s objections.
He said Bangladesh expected the Indian government to take steps to prevent her from engaging in such activities until her extradition.
“We expect the Indian government to place a bar on her in this regard,” he said.
“If India wants, it can take immediate steps to improve relations by returning Hasina,” he added.
The adviser also presented data comparing average load-shedding in June, July and August of 2023 and 2026.
He said the average daily load-shedding in June fell from 969 megawatts in 2023 to 741MW in 2026. In July, it declined from 613MW to 460MW.
The situation changed sharply in August, however, with average load-shedding rising from 360MW in August 2023 to 1,565MW this year.
“Everyone knows what crisis occurred in August,” Zahed said.
On the reported attack on actress Azmeri Haque Badhon in Italy, Zahed said the government had initiated legal proceedings and would take stern action.
He said the incident raised questions about the nature of the Awami League, whose activities are currently banned.
“It’s a mafia gang,” he said, referring to the Awami League.
“The process of taking legal action in this regard has begun, and such incidents will not be spared under any circumstances,” Zahed said.