The Minister said this after the inaugural ceremony of a workshop titled ‘Integrity in Judicial Activities’ at a hotel in the capital on Sunday morning. The workshop was organized by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB); TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman was present.

Responding to a journalist’s question on whether any legal battle would be fought in Indian courts to bring Sheikh Hasina back, the Law Minister said, ‘This is a matter for the Indian government. Under the prisoner exchange agreement, we have requested them. If they hand her over to us, we will surrender her under the law through due process as required.’

Although the government speaks of the prisoner exchange agreement, Sheikh Hasina is not a prisoner in India, and India calls her a state guest—what will happen in that case, in response to such a question Md Asaduzzaman said, ‘To me, she is a criminal. A criminal sentenced by our tribunal—this is her identity to us. Whatever they (India) are saying, will it be so just because they say it? In my state, she was tried in open court.’