Sheikh Hasina (ANI)
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s request for the extradition of convicted former PM Sheikh Hasina will not affect the broader relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi, foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain said on Sunday.He emphasised that Dhaka will continue to pursue its priorities, including the Teesta water-sharing agreement and ending “border killings”, regardless of the extradition issue. “Since she (Hasina) is convicted, we surely want her extradition to implement the punishment. I do not think other issues will get stuck because of this,” Hossain said.
Hossain reiterated Bangladesh’s consistent desire to maintain a good working relationship with India based on mutual respect and shared interests. Though the past govt (Hasina) enjoyed a “warm” relationship with India, it failed to resolve longstanding issues such as Teesta water sharing and “border killings” in its 15 years in office, he said.On Pakistan, the adviser said bilateral ties had been “deliberately kept in a bad situation” for years during the past regime. “Our decision was to establish normal ties with Pakistan, nothing extraordinary,” he added. ‘Can issue one-time travel pass to Zia’s son’Hossain said the govt can issue a “one-time” travel pass within a single day to facilitate BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s return if he wishes to come back. Rahman has been living in exile in the UK for the past 17 years. He said sthe one-time pass is issued in cases where a person does not have a valid passport or the passport has expired. “It’s for one-time use. It takes only a day to issue such a pass.”
