DHAKA: Bangladesh interim government chief adviser Mohammad Yunus‘ conversation with chief prosecutor of International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim AA Khan has intensified speculation about authorities working on a plan to secure the extradition of ousted PM Sheikh Hasina.
Yunus’ talks with Khan were focused on the procedure for trial of those accused of crime against humanity, something that the interim govt and opponents of Hasina have charged her with in connection with the 700 deaths in the violent protests leading to her escape to India in Aug.
Khan, who called on Yunus on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, told him that a “crime against humanity” complaint can be filed against the former PM by following procedure laid down for the purpose.
The UK lawyer, of Pakistani origin, has successfully invoked “crime against humanity” ground to seek arrest warrants from the ICC against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders over the Palestine conflict, as well as one against Russian President Vladimir Putin over the situation in Ukraine.
The unanimous estimate here is that India will not hand over Hasina who was sensitive to New Delhi’s concerns. While the two countries have an extradition treaty, the one signed in 2016 leaves room for the “requestee country” to turn down requests which are not made in “good faith.”
During the meeting, Khan apprised Yunus of the latest developments on the probe into the Rohingya deportation launched by ICC in 2019. The ICC prosecutor, who said he would visit Bangladesh by the end of this year, praised Yunus’ three-point proposal to bring a new momentum to resolve the Rohingya crisis. Yunus proposed this at a meeting at the UN headquarters on Wednesday, when the ICC chief prosecutor also spoke.
The proposal included an urgent conference hosted by the UN chief to review the overall situation and suggest ways out of it, an energised joint response plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, and serious international efforts to support justice and accountability to address the genocidal crimes committed in Rakhine in 2017.
“The three points are perfect,” Khan said.