Staff Reporter:
Apparently referring to deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s reported visa extension, the interim government on Thursday said visa issue does not exist once passport is cancelled.
“I would give you a general answer – if passport is cancelled, no visa issue remains there,” Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Rafiqul Alam told reporters while responding to a question at a weekly briefing at the ministry.
He also said the passport cancellation issues are notified through Bangladesh Missions abroad so that the countries which have diplomatic relations with Bangladesh know about the cancellation.
“As we don’t have additional information, we would not speculate,” Alam added.
Earlier, the Department of Immigration and Passports revoked the passports of 97 people, including Hasina, due to their alleged involvement in the July killings and alleged involvement in enforced disappearances.
However, the Hindustan Times, a major national daily of India, reported that Sheikh Hasina’s visa extension was recently approved, facilitated by India’s Union Home Ministry through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
Hasina, 77, has been residing in India since fleeing her country in August last year, following widespread protests that culminated in her resignation.
“Like you, I too came to know about this (extension of Sheikh Hasina’s visa) through the newspaper. What can we do?” Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain posed a counter question when journalists approached him at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.
He also said they have not yet received a response to the letter (note verbale) sent to India requesting Sheikh Hasina’s extradition.
“At this moment, we are waiting for India’s reply,” Spokesperson Alam said on Thursday, adding that there is no relation between the former Prime Minister’s status in India and Dhaka’s request for her extradition.
The Spokesperson said everyone knows that she in India and Bangladesh requested her extradition as a citizen of Bangladesh.
The interim government in Bangladesh, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, formally requested Hasina’s extradition through a note verbale sent to India’s Ministry of External Affairs on 23 December.
