Last Updated on April 13, 2026 6:35 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser Humaiun Kobir on Monday described ousted former PM Sheikh Hasina as an “autocrat, terrorist and killer” who fled to India and is staying there as an “international terrorist”, saying she has lost her relevance in Bangladesh.
“We told (Indian side) she (Hasina) is a terrorist. She is irrelevant to Bangladesh. She doesn’t have any room in Bangladesh. She doesn’t hold any importance in Bangladesh. People have moved on,” the adviser told reporters at the Secretariat in Dhaka.
Commenting on the recent visit to India, Humaiun said, “I would say it’s a good start to resetting the conversation.” He said Bangladesh had stressed that Hasina should not be allowed to do anything from Indian soil to destabilise the country. “We will continue to seek her extradition through a transparent judicial process. It (extradition request) has been discussed. It will be dealt with through a transparent judicial process,” he said, adding that there would be challenges as Hasina was still staying in India.
The Bangladesh side also reiterated its request for the extradition of Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to Bangladesh. According to the report, both have been awarded the death penalty by the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal.
Bangladesh foreign minister Khalilur Rahman met Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar and petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi on April 8. PM adviser Humaiun Kobir and Bangladesh high commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah were present at the meetings. The Bangladesh delegation also met India’s national security adviser Ajit Doval after arriving in New Delhi on April 7.
On the visa issue, Humaiun said Jaishankar had indicated that Indian visas for Bangladeshis, especially medical and business visas, would be eased in the coming weeks. Responding to a question, he said the Indian side had reacted positively to resuming such visas. “We hope there will be some goodwill gesture from the Indian side in the coming weeks,” the adviser said.
During the New Delhi discussions, both sides underscored the need to advance bilateral ties in various dimensions and also discussed key regional and international issues.
He also thanked the Indian government for apprehending the suspected killers of Shaheed Osman Hadi. Both sides agreed that the arrested persons would be returned to Bangladesh in accordance with procedures laid down in the extradition treaty between the two countries.
Khalilur thanked Hardeep Puri for India’s recent diesel supply to Bangladesh and requested an increase in the supply of diesel and fertiliser. Puri indicated that the government of India would consider the request “readily and favourably”. The two sides also agreed to hold consultations on key bilateral issues.