Bangladesh to seek Hasina's extradition

DHAKA:

Bangladesh will seek the extradition of ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina who fled to India, interim leader Muhammad Yunus said.

Dhaka has already issued an arrest warrant for 77-year-old Hasina.

Hasina has been summoned to appear in court in Dhaka on Monday to face charges of "massacres, killings, and crimes against humanity", but she remains in exile in India.

Yunus said his administration was focused on ensuring those guilty of cracking down on the protests to oust Hasina faced justice.

Several of her former government ministers, who were detained and held in custody, are expected in court to face similar charges.

"We have already taken initiatives to try those responsible for enforced disappearances, murders, and the mass killings during the July-August uprising," Yunus said on Sunday.

Yunus, in a speech to the nation marking 100 days in power since a student-led revolution, said he had spoken to Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

"We will seek the extradition of the ousted autocrat from India," Yunus said, referring to Hasina.

Yunus said he could not give a timeframe for the elections, saying it was dependent on a raft of reforms.

"I promise that we will hold the much-anticipated election once the necessary and essential reforms are complete," he said in the broadcast.

"I request your patience until then. We aim to build an electoral system that will endure for decades. For this, we need some time.