Sheikh Hasina Verdict: India 'committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh'

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday, November 17, said it has taken note of the Bangladesh tribunal's verdict, sentencing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death.

The ministry said India will engage constructively with the interests of people of Bangladesh in mind.

"As a close neighbour, India remains committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country," the MEA said in a statement. "We will always

engage constructively with all stakeholders to that end."

The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh has convicted her for "crimes against humanity" during the student protests in July 2024 that toppled Hasina's government.

Hasina sought refuge in India's capital Delhi, where she stays in a safehouse in a high-security area, after fleeing Dhaka on August 5, 2024, as Bangladesh erupted into chaotic protest. 

The MEA statement comes even as the Indian government was reportedly told to hand over the former leader to Bangladesh by the country's interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus as part of extradition treaty between New Delhi and Dhaka, according to Reuters.

Hasina who was found guilty of "incitement, order to kill and failing to take punitive action against the perpetrators" said the trial was biased and politically motivated.

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The three-member tribunal also ordered the death sentence to former home minister Kamal. Along with them, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun have also been named as co-accused in the case.

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