Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recent arrest warrant issued against former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina; and whether he has had discussions with his Indian counterpart on the former Prime Minister’s continued presence in India, in the context of the bilateral extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India.

The UK is supporting Bangladesh's Interim Government as it works to restore stability and create a pathway to an inclusive democratic future. We note the arrest warrant issued by Bangladesh; discussions between the Interim Government and India about this are a bilateral matter between them. Any investigation is a matter for the relevant authorities in Bangladesh. The UK and international partners continue to push for progress towards accountability and justice including supporting an impartial and independent fact-finding mission by the United Nations. In August, I spoke to my Indian counterpart and discussed the need for de-escalation of violence in Bangladesh.