Staff Reporter:
Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain yesterday said the foreign ministry will take steps to bring back Awami League leaders and former ministers, who have reportedly fled to India, if legal procedures re-quire their return.
“If the court decides that they need to be brought back, we will certainly try to facilitate their return,” he told reporters at the foreign ministry here.
The foreign adviser made the remarks while responding to volume of questions regarding the wherea-bouts of several Awami League leaders and former ministers, who have reportedly been spotted in In-dia.
“You have seen reports in the media about them traveling in India, and that’s all I know as well,” he said.
In response to a question about whether there is an official list of political figures, who left Bangladesh after August 5, Touhid said there is currently no such list, but it could be requested, if necessary.
When asked about the recent trend of Bangladesh Awami League members reportedly fleeing to India to go to third countries with travel passes, the foreign adviser clarified that travel passes are issued specifi-cally for returning to Bangladesh (home country) when a passport gets expired.
“Travel passes are intended solely for repatriation to Bangladesh, not for travel to other countries,” he noted.
Responding to another question about recent remarks by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah concerning Bangladeshis, Touhid Hossain stated that the Bangladesh govern-ment had already issued a formal protest over Shah’s comments.
“I believe the response we’ve issued is adequate for now. We will monitor the situation as it develops,” he said, while acknowledging that the remarks were inappropriate but attributing them to India’s upcom-ing elections.
The Adviser also said that Bangladesh would continue efforts to minimize or prevent such statements from Indian officials in future.
