Bangladesh Dismisses Two Diplomats Serving In India Amid Sheikh Hasina Suspense

The caretaker government in Dhaka has reportedly relieved two Bangladeshi diplomats serving at the High Commission in India of their duties.

Hasina, who fled to India earlier this month after her ouster, is currently facing as many as 51 cases including 42 for murder in Bangladesh (File Image: PTI)

Source : PTI

Amid shaky India-Bangladesh relations following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, at least two Bangladeshi diplomats serving at the High Commission in India have been reportedly relieved of their duties by the caretaker government in Dhaka. According to media reports, the order passed by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus-led interim government came into effect on August 17. 

Shaban Mahmud, who was posted at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and Ranjan Sen, stationed at the Bangladeshi consulate in Kolkata, were reportedly asked to relinquish their charges before the completion of their contractual tenure. 

The move came weeks after India pulled out all non-essential staff and families of officials of the high commission in Dhaka 'as a precautionary measure' in view of ongoing violence in Bangladesh at the time. 

Relations between India and Bangladesh have been shaky since the toppling of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, almost entirely due to a student-led uprising. Since Hasina came to power in 2009, Dhaka became a crucial ally to New Delhi, by helping to eliminate anti-India terrorist groups in Bangladesh and fostering strong economic, social, and cultural ties. Hasina was forced to resign as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and flee the country for India on August 5 following a mass student-led uprising. 

Hasina, who fled to India earlier this month after her ouster, is currently facing as many as 51 cases including 42 for murder in Bangladesh. The interim government in Dhaka has also revoked her diplomatic passports and associated visa privileges, putting her at risk of extradition under the legal framework of the extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India. As per a report by the Bangladeshi news outlet Daily Star, the ex-prime minister holds no other passport than the revoked diplomatic one. 

Hasina's US-based son Sajeeb Wazed 'Joy' had earlier indicated that ex-PM may stay in India for an extended period as a statement by a British government spokesperson indicated that her plea for asylum was unlikely to be accepted. Earlier reports suggested that Hasina might seek asylum in the UK.