Hasina a criminal; govt to pursue all legal avenues to bring her back from India: Law minister

The government will take all necessary legal steps to bring ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh under the extradition treaty with India, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman has said.

“All necessary legal steps to bring her back have been taken. She is a criminal in our eyes,” he said today (8 November) after inaugurating a workshop on “Integrity in Judicial Proceedings” for judges of subordinate courts at a hotel in the capital. He also expressed hope that India would return her under the treaty.

The law minister said intellectual corruption has harmed the judiciary more than financial corruption. He said the government and the chief justice are trying to implement a zero-tolerance policy against judges facing specific allegations.

The minister said the government will not interfere in the work of a judge once they become a permanent judge of the Supreme Court. He added that the government is committed to establishing a separate secretariat for the judiciary, which will be implemented through constitutional amendments.

Bangladesh expects justice in the Rohingya genocide case, with a verdict due at the International Court of Justice on 19 November, the minister said.

At the same event, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said an independent judiciary free from political influence is essential to ensuring the benefits of the justice system.