B'desh requests India to return ex-PM Hasina

Dhaka has made a formal request to New Delhi to extradite Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since she fled the country in August, Bangladesh's de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain said on Monday.

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI:

"We have informed [India] that she [Hasina] is wanted back here for the judicial process," Hossain told reporters at the foreign ministry in Dhaka. "We have done this through a note verbale," he said, speaking in Bengali. Hossain did not give details.

Separately, an anti-graft panel in Bangladesh has begun an inquiry into allegations of corruption and embezzlement by Hasina and her son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed related to the Rooppur nuclear power plant being built by Russian and Indian firms.

There was no immediate response from the Indian side to Hossain's comments. The Indian government is expected to respond on the matter. Earlier on Monday, Bangladesh's de facto home minister Jahangir Alam said his ministry has written to the foreign ministry to facilitate the return of Hasina from India.

"We have sent a letter to the foreign ministry regarding her extradition. The process is currently underway," Alam was quoted as saying by state-run BSS news agency.