A press release by the Bangladesh government said that NSA Khalilur Rahman and Indian counterpart Ajit Doval discussed key “bilateral issues” during their meet. Amid Bangladesh’s ongoing efforts to bring back ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the country’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Khalilur Rahman met Indian counterpart Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Wednesday.
A press release by the Bangladesh government said that the counterparts discussed key “bilateral issues” and the functioning of the Colombo Security Conclave. Besides, NSA Ajit Doval was invited to visit Bangladesh “at his convenience”.
This meeting is the highest-level security engagement since the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus assumed office in Bangladesh in August 2024.
The meeting comes just days after the Bangladesh’s foreign ministry in a statement urged India to extradite “fugitive accused” Sheikh Hasina, who has been in exile in India since her ouster as prime minister in August 2024.
The Bangladesh government had cited an extradition agreement with India and said it was an “obligatory responsibility” for New Delhi to ensure the return of Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
“Providing refuge to these individuals, who have been convicted of crimes against humanity, by any other country would be a highly unfriendly act and a disregard for justice,” the letter from the foreign ministry of Bangladesh read.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) on Monday found Sheikh Hasina, former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal guilty on multiple counts for their alleged role in the July 2024 student crackdown that ultimately led to Hasina’s ouster.
