Bangladesh Relieves Two Diplomats Serving In India Following PM Sheikh Hasina’s Ouster –

The caretaker government in Bangladesh has relieved two Bangladeshi diplomats serving at the High Commission in India of their duties, effective August 17.

Shaban Mahmud, First Secretary (Press) at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, was asked to relinquish his position before the end of his contract, according to a report by India Today.

Ranjan Sen, also a First Secretary (Press) at the Bangladeshi consulate in Kolkata, was asked to leave before the completion of his contractual tenure, which was set to end in 2026. This decision follows India’s withdrawal of “non-essential” staff and their families from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka due to concerns over violence in the country.

Sheikh Hasina, facing a mass student-led uprising, was forced to resign as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and flee to India on August 5. She has been in India for nearly three weeks and faces the possibility of extradition due to the revocation of her diplomatic passport by the Muhammad Yunus-led caretaker government.

Hasina, who is facing 51 cases including 42 for murder, holds no other passport besides the revoked diplomatic one, reported Bangladeshi news outlet Daily Star, citing government sources. The cancellation of her diplomatic passport and associated visa privileges puts her at risk of extradition under the legal framework of the extradition treaty between the two neighboring countries.

Hasina has made no comment on her plans for the future, but her US-based son Sajeeb Wazed ‘Joy’ has indicated that she may be in India for an extended period. Earlier reports suggested that Hasina might leave for another country, possibly the UK, but a statement by a British government spokesperson indicated that her plea for asylum was unlikely to be accepted.