Discussion possible after Bangladesh seeks return of Hasina, says Indian analyst
India would also offer you asylum if you were part of the Bangladeshi government and needed refuge in India at any time, said the analyst to the Bangladeshi analysts during a session at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2024
The repatriation of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India to Bangladesh was discussed during a session of the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2024 being held in Dhaka yesterday (16 November).
During the session, one of the Bangladeshi analysts sought advice on what Bangladesh should do regarding the repatriation of Hasina, who took refuge in India after a mass uprising led by students ousted her from power on 5 August, reports Prothom Alo.
Two Indian analysts attending the discussion replied that the matter could be discussed after moving forward through legal procedures.
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The three-day Bay of Bengal Conversation, organised by the Center for Governance Studies (CGS) at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel, included a special session on Bangladesh-India relations, titled "Bridging Divides: Navigating the Complexities of India-Bangladesh Relations", yesterday.
According to the Prothom Alo report, the session was conducted under the "Chatham House Rule", meaning no specific speaker's name could be attributed to any particular statement or quote. Only the overall discussion could be published.
On one side of the discussion table were six Bangladeshi analysts: Ali Riaz, head of the Constitutional Reform Commission and distinguished professor at Illinois State University, USA; Nurul Kabir, editor of New Age; Debashish Roy, chief of the Chakma Circle; Fahmida Khatun, a director of Bangladesh Bank Board of Directors and executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD); Navin Murshid, a professor at Colgate University, USA; and Shafqat Munir, research fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS).
On the other side were former Indian diplomat and Professor at OP Jindal Global University Sriradha Dutt; Anil Trigunayat, president of the Millennial India International Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture (MIICCIA); former army commander Arun K Sahni; former diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar; Research Fellow at India's Institute of Defense Studies and Analysis Shruti S Pattanaik; and Suhasini Haider, diplomatic editor of The Hindu.
The discussion, moderated by CGS Senior Research Fellow Parvez Karim Abbasi, covered six aspects of Bangladesh-India diplomatic relations: border killings, shared river water distribution, bilateral trade, the Rohingya crisis, cultural ties and politics, and climate change and environmental issues.
Towards the end of the two-hour discussion, a Bangladeshi analyst asked the Indian analysts about Hasina, who fled to India following the killing of nearly 1,500 people in Bangladesh, reports Prothom Alo.
The Bangladeshi analyst said she is responsible for these killings, and India has given her shelter. What should Bangladesh do now?
In response, one of the Indian delegation members addressed several topics but did not directly comment on the issue of Hasina, who is also the president of the Awami League that ruled Bangladesh for the last 15 years.
They mentioned it was necessary to avoid the mentality that if one particular topic is not discussed in bilateral relations, then no other issues will be addressed.
Following this, a Bangladeshi analyst noted that it was the first time in the two-hour discussion that a Bangladeshi had brought up Hasina, which the Indian analyst seemed to avoid discussing.
The Indian analyst then said they did not understand the question. Afterwards, the Bangladeshi analyst reiterated the topic of Hasina, commenting that they had never seen a situation where a government official from India officially received an autocrat who had fled her own country.
At this point, the Indian analyst remarked that Bangladesh has not yet requested the return of Hasina under the bilateral extradition treaty. They suggested that the issue be discussed after such a request is made.
Speaking on the matter, another Indian analyst also noted that what has come out about Hasina is in the media and public discussions; the legal proceedings have not yet concluded, and Bangladesh authorities have not requested her extradition from India.
The matter should be discussed after such a request is made, added the Indian analyst.
The Bangladeshi analyst who initially raised the topic then clarified that they did not ask a question but were merely seeking advice.
An Indian analyst then told the Bangladeshi analysts that India would also offer them asylum if they were part of the Bangladeshi government and needed refuge in India at any time.
This remark was met with laughter from everyone.
The Awami League government fell on 5 August amid a nationwide mass uprising led by students. Sheikh Hasina fled to India, where she has been since.
