Bangladesh will seek extradition of Sheikh Hasina, says interim govt chief Muhammad Yunus

Dhaka: Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said on Sunday that the interim government will seek the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after the fall of her government following a mass protest movement in August.

In an address to the nation on the completion of 100 days of the interim government, Yunus also said that his government has been continuing its all-out efforts to ensure the security of all citizens, including religious minorities.

"We must ensure justice in every killing...We will also ask India to send back fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina," Yunus was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency.

His remarks indicate a U-turn as in an interview with the UK-based Financial Times newspaper last month, Yunus said his government would not immediately seek Hasina’s extradition from India.

Yunus, who assumed office on August 8, claimed that about 1500 people, including students and workers, were killed while 19,931 others were wounded during the protest against the Hasina government.

"Our government is very careful to collect information on every death," he said, adding that the government made arrangements for treatment of the injured in various specialized hospitals, including 13 hospitals in Dhaka.

Hasina, 77, resigned and fled to India following massive protests by students and others against her government over a controversial quota system in government jobs.

She landed at the Hindon airbase near Delhi on August 5. She was believed to have been shifted later to an unspecified location and has not been seen in public since then.

Hasina and her party leaders face accusations of ordering brutal suppression of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, resulting in numerous casualties during the July-August protests.

Yunus said his government is investigating every incident in a few cases where religious minorities were subjected to violence.

"We have tried our best so that any citizen of the country, not only Hindu community members, doesn’t become a victim of violence. We will continue these efforts,” he said in his address to the nation.

He said Bangladesh was a completely insecure country when the interim government assumed office.

Yunus said an attempt was made to spread unnecessary fear among the religious minorities.

"In some cases, they have also been subjected to violence. But all the hype about it was completely exaggerated. Those little cases of violence that took place were mainly political,” he said.

But ill efforts were made to make the country unstable again by giving religious colour to these events, he said, adding that the government dealt with the situation firmly with the cooperation of all.

He said that after two months of assumption of office by his government, Durga Puja was celebrated in around 32,000 puja mandaps across the country.

He said the government took extensive security preparations during the Durga Puja so that the Hindu community members celebrate the festival smoothly.

Hindus constitute just about 8 per cent of the 170 million Bangladesh population. The minority Hindu community members have faced regular vandalism of their businesses and destruction of temples during and since the protest erupted, resulting in the ouster of Prime Minister Hasina.

Yunus also said that the Election Commission (EC) will be formed soon while an election roadmap will be announced after competing reforms in the electoral system.

"Once the electoral reforms are decided, you will get the election roadmap very soon," he said.

Noting that there is a question in everyone's mind about when the elections will be held, Yunus said the government has started taking necessary steps to hold the elections.