Hasina's extradition to be resolved legally: Jaiswal

India's foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal has said that the extradition of ousted Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina will be resolved legally.

India's statement came amid discussions over Hasina's request for a Bangladeshi passport and national identity card to return home.

In November last year, the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced Hasina to death in absentia. She received the sentence for ordering a deadly crackdown to suppress the student-led 2024 July Uprising. However, she has denied the allegations from India, bdnews24 reports.

Hasina had previously announced her plan to return home in December. She had told Reuters that she intended to return home to surrender before the court.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that a London-based law firm had written to the acting Bangladeshi high commissioner in Delhi requesting a new passport and national identity card on Hasina's behalf.

The Bangladesh government has yet to make a clear statement on this application. However, they have demanded that Hasina be handed over to Bangladeshi authorities to face justice since she fled the country.

At least four journalists at Tuesday's briefing asked about the Indian government's position on the situation.

Reporter Gautam Lahiri said, "A Bangladeshi national - citizen - wants to go back to her country. In this situation, whether India has any role to play, to negotiate, or talk to its counterpart of Bangladesh?"

AFP journalist Bhuvan Bagga wanted to know if there were any new talks between New Delhi and Dhaka on Hasina's extradition.

Satya Krishna Mohan of the Indian Express said that the Bangladesh government wants "Sheikh Hasina to be extradited. What is the Indian government's position on this issue?"

The Hindu journalist Kallol Bhattacherjee asked, "Is it possible to extradite a person without a passport? Is a passport essential for extradition?"

In response to these questions, Jaiswal said, "The issue of Sheikh Hasina's extradition is a matter of law and justice. Further action will be taken in this regard as per the law."

Regarding travel documents, Jaiswal said: "This is a legal matter. A person needs a valid travel document to travel."

Jaiswal said that he will look into the specific technical aspects of this issue and will inform them at a later time.

Questions also came up about the water-sharing agreement between India and Bangladesh at the briefing.

In response, Jaiswal said: "There is no new information on this issue beyond the statements given in the previous briefing."

When asked if there was any new information on a potential visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India or discussions on this issue, the spokesperson said: "There is no update to confirm at this time."