DHAKA, Dec 24, 2024 (BSS) - The government is working on priority basis to extradite fallen dictator Sheikh Hasina to the country to bring her to justice, Chief Adviser Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said today.

"The government is working on priority basis to bring Sheikh Hasina back to the country as soon as possible following the existing laws of Bangladesh," he told a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy here this evening.

On December 23, 2024, Bangladesh foreign ministry served a diplomatic note to the Indian government to send back ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka. 

"We sent a note verbal (diplomatic message) to the Indian government saying that the Bangladesh government wants her (Hasina) back here for judicial process," Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain told reporters on Monday.

Alam said the legal process to bring Sheikh Hasina back is going on in full swing and it requires time for legal process.
 
"We have been saying repeatedly - we want to bring Sheikh Hasina back to the country. We hope it will be possible to extradite her and she must face trial," he said.

Depicting the horrific picture of human rights violations carried out during Sheikh Hasina's fascist regime, the press secretary said it has been seen how horrific crimes took place during the Sheikh Hasina's 15-year regime and the whole world is now seeing her crimes.

Citing the findings of the report of the Commission on Enforced Disappearance, he said about 3,500 people were disappeared in the past 15 years, while hundreds of people were extrajudicially killed. 

In addition, he said, about 1,500 students and commoners lost their lives in the July Revolution.

Recalling martyr Arafat, a six-year-old madrasa student who was shot in July, Alam said: "How terrible it was that a child was shot by the police. He died last Sunday."

Alam highlighted the indiscriminate killings in Shapla Chattar and the killings after Maulana Sayedee's death during the Sheikh Hasina's fascist regime.
According to the BNP, cases were filed against 50 to 60 lakh of their leaders and activists, while most of those were false, the press secretary said.
 
He also mentioned that the families of those sued faced tortures.

About probes into the corruption of Sheikh Hasina and her family members, the press secretary said the government is investigating her corruption in depth as the people of Bangladesh want to know how much Sheikh Hasina has stolen.

He also said that the white paper report has shown a terrible picture of how Sheikh Hasina has maintained a system of stealing in the country for 15 long years. 

Alam said US$ 16 billion were siphoned off from the country every year during the ousted regime while money was looted from banks.

About the outcomes of the today's meeting of the adviser's council, he said Bangladesh is trying to sign an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the Republic of Korea as it might be a big market for Bangladesh in the future.

"We have just launched negotiation with Korea. The government is trying to explore new markets," Alam added.

The press secretary said once the EPA is signed with Korea, a new horizon of possibility will be created, saying the government wants economic transformation of Bangladesh.