Dr Yunus may mention Hasina’s extradition at his UN address on Sept 27
By Nitya Chakraborty
The interim Government of Bangladesh headed by Dr. Muhammad Yunus is doing all the preparatory work for officially demanding the extradition from India of the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as early as possible. Indications suggest that Dr. Yunus may mention this demand at his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 27. Dr. Yunus will be in the USA from September 24 to 27 while the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be there from September 21 to 23. So there is no possibility of any bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Dr. Yunus in New York this time.
The Bangladesh interim head has a hectic programme in New York during those four days. Apart from addressing the UN general assembly, he will be having bilateral meetings with the government heads of a large number of nations to explain to them the present situation in Bangladesh and the future plans of the interim administration. Dr. Yunus will have a very significant meeting with the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He will also have talks with the Nepalese Prime Minister K P S Oli and the US secretary of state Antony Blinken.
Sources say that the main focus of his UN address will be to give a background of the mass movement led by the students and how it was a battle for democracy and protection for human rights. Dr. Yunus is also expected to indicate the short-term action plan of the interim government to restore democratic rights and also tackle the ailing economy. He will then appeal for international assistance to rebuild the Bangladesh economy.
Dr. Yunus will be meeting the World Bank president and the European Commission head separately for discussions on assistance. He is scheduled to have a meeting with the UN secretary general and the UN High Commissioner for refugees. His discussion with the UN official for refugees assumes significance in the context of the presence of Rohingyas in Bangladesh, especially in Chittagong district which has a border close to Myanmar.
Taking into account the visit of Dr. Muhammad Yunus to New York and his meeting with the US secretary of state Antony Blinken, the Bangladesh administration has done spadework on the issue of seeking extradition of Sheikh Hasina. Prosecutors of the International Crimes Tribunal have already been appointed and they have started their work in full force. The relevant documents for the trial of the designated political leaders and officials aligned with the Awami League government are being collected and the prosecutors are preparing to put the accused to trial. The demand for extradition will be done officially as the trial starts.
Significantly, a UN fact finding mission is also working and collecting facts in cooperation with the interim government agencies. They are mainly looking at human rights violations. They are supposed to look after such violations even after August 5 when Sheikh Hasina abdicated her Prime Minister position and fled to India.
The US officials team led by Donald Lu, assistant secretary of state in charge of South Asia had talks with the interim government last week about the action plan of the interim government. The team was apprised of the interim government’s position about the need for extradition of Sheikh Hasina from India and putting her on trial in Dhaka.
So that way, the Bangladesh interim government is getting itself fully prepared to prepare a foolproof demand for extradition and this will be publicized in international gatherings like the UN general assembly. Next week, the interim head Dr. Md. Yunus himself will be doing that through his address at the UN general assembly and important bilateral meetings.
As against this concerted move and campaign of Bangladesh to explain its position in which India’s position will be shown in a negative light, what is Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing in New York? In his three days from September 21 to 23, the first day, he will be busy with the QUAD summit, will have bilateral meetings with the three other heads including the President of USA, and Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan. On September 22, he will be addressing the Indian diaspora in Long Islands and will have a meeting with the CEOs. He will also address the UN’s special summit in the future. So far, there is no programme of meeting with any other South Asian government heads.
The Prime Minister has made a big mistake by not addressing the country session of the UN general assembly as that is the forum where the head of governments spell out their country’s policies. Bangladesh interim head Dr. Yunus will be explaining the situation in Bangladesh and his government’s programme in his address. India’s role will come up for scrutiny in his address. His one sided version will go unchallenged as Dr. Jaishankar who has been assigned by the Prime Minister to represent him on September 28, is no match to Dr. Md. Yunus. India’s position will not reach the heads of the governments attending the UN. India is steadily losing the perception battle on Bangladesh. And for it to happen, the Prime Minister’s Office has to take the blame. (IPA Service)