Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain revealed on Wednesday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to receive a response from India regarding a diplomatic letter sent in December last year, requesting the return of Sheikh Hasina.
Speaking to journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the adviser stated that he had learned about the extension of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visa in India through media reports. "Like you, I also came to know about the visa extension through the newspapers. This is a matter for India," he said.
On Wednesday, Indian media reported that Sheikh Hasina's visa validity had been extended, allowing her to remain in India legally.
According to the Chief Adviser's Press Wing, the government cancelled the passports of 97 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, citing allegations of involvement in the killings of July and August. Among them, 22 individuals were accused of involvement in disappearances, while 75 were implicated in the July killings.
The Hindustan Times, a leading Indian national daily, reported that Sheikh Hasina's visa extension was recently approved by India's Union Home Ministry through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
Despite her prolonged stay, speculation regarding her seeking asylum has been dismissed, with officials highlighting India's lack of a specific legal framework for asylum seekers.
The interim government in Bangladesh, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, formally requested Hasina's extradition through a note verbale sent to India's Ministry of External Affairs on 23 December. However, Indian officials reportedly consider the request incomplete, citing Dhaka's failure to fulfil the necessary procedural formalities.
Bangladesh's International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) has issued a second arrest warrant against Hasina, instructing authorities to produce her and 11 others before the court by 12 February. The tribunal accuses the former prime minister of crimes against humanity.
Meanwhile, India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the decision regarding Hasina's future rests with her. "As far as former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is concerned, we don't have an update on her plans. It is for her to take things forward," he said.
