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Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been sentenced to death in a crimes against humanity case, must follow the law if she wishes to return to Bangladesh, Attorney General Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal has said.
He also made it clear that she would no longer have the opportunity to appeal, even if she returns to the country, as the statutory deadline for filing an appeal has expired.
The Attorney General made the remarks while speaking to journalists at his office at the Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon (November 11), in response to questions about Hasina’s possible return and her legal options.
Stressing that the law applies equally to everyone, Kazal said the law governing appeals against verdicts of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) was clear.
He cited the case of Abul Kalam Azad, saying the consequences of filing an appeal after the prescribed deadline had already been established. He added that there was no legal scope for condoning the delay and allowing an appeal after the deadline had expired.
Asked about the process of bringing Hasina back to Bangladesh, the Attorney General said the matter primarily involved legal procedures and relations between states.
He noted that the state’s position had already been clarified by the Foreign Affairs State Minister, prosecutors of the International Crimes Tribunal and India’s Foreign Secretary, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Asked how the fugitive former prime minister could return, Kazal said she was a death-row convict currently staying abroad.
“If she wants to surrender herself to the law, she can return, but she must abide by the prevailing laws,” he said.
Recently, Hasina applied for a new passport and national identity card (NID) through a UK-based law firm at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, India.
The development has triggered renewed discussions over her legal status and the process of bringing her back to Bangladesh.
