Hasina must return through extradition treaty: Rizvi

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has called for ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to be brought back from India through the extradition treaty between the two countries to face trial in Bangladesh.

“If she is to face trial, she must come through the legal process. There is an extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India, and she will have to return under its provisions,” Rizvi said.

He made the remarks at a discussion organised by the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal at the National Press Club on Friday, marking National Revolution and Solidarity Day.

Rizvi said returning to the country and extradition were two different legal processes. While return applies to someone who leaves the country without facing allegations and later wishes to come back, extradition concerns a person facing criminal charges or a sentence.

He questioned why Hasina's lawyers were seeking a passport, visa and national identity card for her, saying her return was a legal matter between the two countries rather than an ordinary homecoming.

Rizvi alleged that Hasina was involved in the killing of people during the July uprising and said she must face the ongoing judicial process in Bangladesh and serve any sentence imposed on her.

Highlighting the significance of November 7, Rizvi described the day as an important milestone in the country's struggle for democracy, national independence and people's rights.

He said the joint movement of soldiers and civilians against domination had inspired subsequent movements against autocracy. Although Bangladesh achieved independence through the Liberation War in 1971, he said, people's democratic rights and freedoms remained unfulfilled for years.

Rizvi also said the country's domestic and foreign policies would be guided by the people's decisions, not dictated by any individual or outside force.

On women's empowerment, he said women had played an independent and significant role in democratic movements, often facing arrest, torture and harassment.

He called for greater opportunities for women's education, employment and entrepreneurship, alongside measures to prevent child marriage. He also proposed collateral-free loans to help women entrepreneurs become economically self-reliant.

The meeting was chaired by Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal President Afroza Abbas and moderated by its General Secretary Sultana Ahmed.