 "Yunus says sought PM Modi's help to stop Hasina from 'speaking to Bangladeshi people' but...")
Bangladesh’s interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus, said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ignored his request to stop former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from making political statements while in India.
Speaking at Chatham House in London, Yunus emphasised that his government would continue its efforts to extradite Hasina from India so she can face charges in Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal, which recently indicted her for ordering a police crackdown on protestors last year.
“When I had a chance to speak with Prime Minister Modi, I simply said, ‘You want to host her — I cannot force you to abandon that policy. But please help us ensure that she does not address the Bangladeshi people the way she currently is,’” Yunus said, while addressing the audience at the London-based think tank.
Yunus said he made this request to Modi during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok this April.
“She announces that she will speak on a particular day and at a particular time, and the whole of Bangladesh becomes very angry,” he added.
“Modi’s answer — and I quote — was: ‘It is social media; we cannot control it.’ What can you say? This is an explosive situation, and you can’t simply walk away by saying it’s social media. Yet this continues,” Yunus remarked.
Hasina’s ouster after mass protests
Sheikh Hasina fled to India in August last year after being ousted following mass student protests. Since then, India has not responded to any of the extradition requests made by Dhaka since December, after the interim government took charge.
Yunus said his government would persist in seeking Hasina’s extradition following her indictment by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal.
“The trial process has started. The tribunal has issued her notices for the crimes she has committed, and now she must respond,” he said.
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More ShortsHe also stated that they plan to involve Interpol and follow all proper legal procedures. “We want the process to be legal and proper,” he added.
‘Fake news in the Indian press…’: Yunus
Yunus further said that he wants strong ties with India but claimed that “fake news in the Indian press” is damaging those efforts.
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