Bangladesh’s interim government announced on Sunday that it has formally requested India to extradite ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was sentenced earlier this week to death over a violent crackdown on a student-led uprising.
Hasina, 78, has been sheltering in India since August 2024, when her long-running and increasingly authoritarian rule was toppled. Her tenure as prime minister had enjoyed strong support from New Delhi, a key regional ally.
Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh’s acting foreign minister, told reporters that a letter seeking Hasina’s extradition was issued on Friday. Although he declined to reveal its full contents, Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reported that this was the third official request submitted since Hasina fled the country.
Following Monday’s court verdict—convicting Hasina of crimes against humanity and sentencing her to death—the foreign ministry in Dhaka reiterated that India had an “obligatory responsibility” under a bilateral treaty to enable the former leader’s return.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it had “noted” the ruling but did not directly address the extradition appeal. New Delhi has also not yet responded to the latest request.
Political tensions in Bangladesh have escalated since Hasina’s ouster, with violence increasing as the nation moves toward elections expected in February 2026. According to the United Nations, as many as 1,400 people were killed in government crackdowns as Hasina attempted to retain power—figures central to the charges on which she was convicted.
India’s previous backing of Hasina has strained relations between the two neighbors, though the atmosphere appeared to soften this week when Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman attended a regional security summit in India and held talks with Ajit Doval, his Indian counterpart. Bangladeshi media reports suggest Rahman has extended an invitation for Doval to visit Dhaka.
