Bangladesh has once again asked India to hand over Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister who was recently sentenced to death.
Tauhid Hossain, foreign minister of Bangladesh’s interim government, said yesterday (Sunday, November 23) that the country sent a letter to New Delhi two days ago requesting Hasina’s extradition.
Hasina, 78, fled to India in August 2024 after her government was toppled in a popular uprising. India had been one of her closest allies during her premiership.
The United Nations has reported that more than 1,400 people were killed during the crackdown on student protests that year.
The special tribunal for international crimes in Dhaka has sentenced Hasina to death on charges of “crimes against humanity.” Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and head of the interim government, had previously promised such a ruling.
Following the verdict, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that, under a 2013 treaty signed between the two countries, India has a “binding obligation” to return Sheikh Hasina.
The statement said granting her refuge is “a completely unfriendly act,” and any country that shelters her is effectively “insulting justice.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded by saying it had taken note of the verdict and declined to comment on the possibility of extradition.
The newspaper Prothom Alo reported that Bangladesh has so far requested Hasina’s extradition at least three times.
Bangladesh is set to hold its first election since the 2024 protests in February 2026. Hasina’s party, the Awami League, has been banned from all political activity.
