Dhaka: Bangladesh has said it expects India to extradite former PM Sheikh Hasina "at the earliest", but maintained that the matter would not derail its relationship with New Delhi. The interim government’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Mohammad Touhid Hossain, made the comments during an interaction with diplomatic correspondents in Dhaka.
Hossain said bilateral ties were defined by long-term strategic interests and would not hinge on a single issue. "I think our (bilateral) relations won’t (be) stuck on one issue alone," he told reporters, when asked whether improved ties with India were possible without Hasina’s repatriation.
Hossain said bilateral ties were defined by long-term strategic interests and would not hinge on a single issue. "I think our (bilateral) relations won’t (be) stuck on one issue alone," he told reporters, when asked whether improved ties with India were possible without Hasina’s repatriation.
Meanwhile, a panel set up to investigate a violent Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny that saw dozens of senior army officers massacred 16 years ago claimed that the ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister personally ordered the mutiny. The two-day mutiny in 2009 left 74 people dead, including top military officers, only weeks after Hasina returned to power.
BNP hails Indian PM's 'gesture of goodwill'The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he sent a message wishing a speedy recovery to BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who remains critically ill. PM Modi expressed concerns over the condition of the 80-year-old former Bangladesh prime minister, who has been in Evercare Hospital since November 23. "Deeply concerned to learn about the health of Begum Khaleda Zia, who has contributed to Bangladesh's public life for many years," he wrote. The BNP responded through its official account, saying it expresses sincere gratitude to PM Modi's message at a time when its leader's condition has deteriorated sharply. "BNP deeply appreciates this gesture of goodwill and the expression of readiness to extend support," the party said. |
