New Delhi: Indian government has no plans to send Sheikh Hasina to any other country if she does not want to. Bangladesh government is repeatedly raising questions, why India gave shelter to Sheikh Hasina? Even as long as Hasina stays in India, Bangladesh has given a message that the bilateral relations between the interim government of India and Bangladesh will not be normal. But the Indian government remains adamant. In other words, India is not very interested in starting bilateral relations fully by accepting any conditions of the interim government of Bangladesh. If Mohammad Yunus’ government wants to revive all relations between India and Bangladesh unconditionally, then India will also extend its hand. Rather, India is giving strict conditions, Yunus must be strict to stop the persecution of Hindus and the anti-India cycle must be suppressed.
The allegation made by Bangladesh that Sheikh Hasina has been illegally sheltered by India is not correct. Sheikh Hasina’s diplomatic passport is still valid. Since arriving in India, he has been in the country under a diplomatic protocol called ‘Amended Travel Arrangement’. On 15 July 2018, an agreement on a chapter on visa free regime was signed between Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi. Clause 1 (a) of the MoU states that holders of diplomatic and official passports of both countries can stay in each other’s country for a period of 45 days. That is, India can keep Hasina in the country for a total of 45 days according to the valid protocol. It is known that if it is still necessary, then it will not be illegal to keep the extended temporary stay in practice.
So there is no possibility of Hasina being transferred elsewhere or handed over to Bangladesh under the pressure of Bangladesh. India will arrange for Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana to go to other countries if they want. The rule of staying without a visa is 90 days in some countries, in some places it is 15 days. According to the Memorandum of Understanding on Diplomatic Passports, the period is 45 days in the case of India and Bangladesh. Hasina has only been there for 15 days. So he has time.
India does not want to send Hasina to any other country
