- Chief prosecutor states Hasina has no legal option against execution.
- Cites laws preventing passport issuance for death-sentenced convicts.
- Suggests Hasina request extradition from India to return.
Bangladesh’s chief prosecutor has said former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has no legal option left but to face the execution of her death sentence. Md Aminul Islam said Hasina could have returned during the trial to contest the charges or filed an appeal within 30 days of the verdict’s publication. Speaking to journalists at the International Crimes Tribunal, he also questioned whether factions within the Awami League were using her as a “trump card” to foment political instability in the country.
‘No Scope For Passport’
Hasina, who was ousted from power and is currently in India, was sentenced to death in the crimes against humanity case.
Responding to reports that a London-based legal chamber had approached the Bangladesh government seeking a passport or travel document for her, Islam said there was no legal provision to issue such a document to someone convicted and sentenced to death.
Citing the Bangladesh Passport Order, 1973, he said Articles 6 and 7 restrict passport issuance to convicted individuals, particularly those sentenced to at least two years in prison for offences involving moral turpitude. Crimes against humanity fall within this category, he added.
The chief prosecutor also questioned the validity of the reported application, pointing out that it had not been submitted by Hasina herself. He further said there was no publicly disclosed legal agreement between the former prime minister and the London-based law chamber.
Extradition Route Suggested
Islam said that if Hasina genuinely wished to return to Bangladesh, she should submit a written request to the Indian government seeking her return under the extradition treaty between the two countries.
He also dismissed arguments that Hasina could invoke her constitutional right as a Bangladeshi citizen to enter the country and avoid the consequences of her conviction.
The chief prosecutor further rejected claims circulating on social media that a separate hearing or confirmation by the High Court was necessary before a death sentence could be carried out.
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