Two Bangladeshi diplomats serving at the High Commission in India have been relieved of their duties as per the order of the caretaker government in Dhaka. The order came into effect on August 17.
Shaban Mahmud, First Secretary (Press), was asked to relinquish his position at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi before the end of his contract.
Ranjan Sen, also a First Secretary (Press) at the Bangladeshi consulate in Kolkata, relinquished his charges last week. Sen was asked to leave before the completion of his contractual tenure, which was set to end in 2026. He had been re-appointed by the erstwhile Sheikh Hasina government and may take some time before returning to Dhaka.
This move comes amid tensions between India and Bangladesh following the fall of the Hasina government. Earlier this month, India pulled out "non-essential" staff and the families of diplomats at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka due to concerns over violence in the neighbouring country.
Hasina, facing a mass student-led uprising, was forced to resign as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and flee the country for 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 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 Bangladesh and India.
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.
