No more Awami League, Hasina in Bangladesh: Humayun Kabir

Foreign affairs advisor to the prime minister Humayun Kabir has said that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League, who were ousted in a mass uprising, have become “irrelevant” in Bangladesh.

Describing Sheikh Hasina as a “terrorist”, he said: "I have told India to ensure that she cannot destabilise the country while squatting on Indian soil."

He made these remarks while responding to questions from the media after a routine meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat on Monday.

Responding to a question about bringing Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh, Humayun Kabir said: "There’s nothing of Hasina or the Awami League in Bangladesh any more. She killed 1,500 people and fled to India. That is what we have said.

"She is a terrorist. And she has no place in Bangladesh anymore. She is irrelevant in Bangladesh. We are proceeding with legal steps to bring her back, and we will."

He also referred to a recent visit by a delegation led by Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman to India. In response to a question about whether Indian visas were discussed during the visit, he said: “I have asked them to resume the granting of medical visas and business visas. They (India) have received it positively.

“We have spoken with Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar. The meetings have been fruitful. We hope to see positive results in the next few weeks.”

Asked about the prime minister’s possible first foreign visit, he said: “No final decision has been made yet regarding the prime minister’s first foreign visit. The first visit could also be to SAARC countries.

“However, nothing has been finalised yet. Still, the matter is under consideration.”

He further said that two people, including Faisal Karim Masud, the prime suspect in the murder of Inqilab Moncho convenor Sharif Osman Hadi, have been arrested in India.

Regarding their return, Humayun Kabir said: “It is possible to bring them back to the country only through the extradition agreement with India.”

On Bangladesh–India relations and cooperation, he said: “We have received some assistance from them through the pipeline. We have thanked them for this. And wherever assistance is needed, we will receive it, they have assured us of this.”

He added: “Goodwill from both sides is essential for this. We would say it is a good start. Everything cannot be done in a day.

“There will be some challenges, since the fugitive terrorist Sheikh Hasina is there. Despite this, we will have to see how we can take the relations between the two countries forward.”