NEW DELHI: India is examining a formal request from Bangladesh to extradite fugitive former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, an Indian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday, as relations between the neighbouring countries continue to strain over her presence in India.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters: “Yes, we have received the request, and this request is being examined.”
Bangladesh renewed its extradition plea after a special International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka convicted Hasina of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to death in absentia. The tribunal delivered its verdict on November 17.
Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on Monday that Dhaka had sent a fresh letter to New Delhi urging Hasina’s return.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said India had an “obligatory responsibility” under a bilateral extradition treaty signed in 2013 to facilitate her handover. The ministry described India’s continued sheltering of convicted Hasina as “a grave act of unfriendly behaviour”.
Hasina’s flight to India
Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, at the height of mass protests that toppled her government. The United Nations has said more than 1,400 people were killed during the Hasina government’s violence against protesters. Hasina, 78, had served as Bangladesh’s prime minister for 15 years before her removal.
Bangladesh’s interim government is led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has pushed a campaign of accountability for the crackdown on protesters. Following the tribunal’s verdict, Dhaka has sought international cooperation to secure Hasina’s return.
New Delhi’s response and regional relations
India has so far limited its public response to noting receipt of the extradition request and to saying it will examine the matter through appropriate legal channels.
New Delhi’s past support for Hasina, while she was in power, has strained relations with Dhaka since her overthrow.
Bangladeshi media reported that Rahman had invited Doval to visit Dhaka to discuss the matter.
