Ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina
NEW DELHI: Bangladesh’s request for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina—who has been living in India since her ouster in August 2024—is under examination, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.“Yes, we have received that request, and the request is being examined… We remain committed to the people of Bangladesh… We will continue to engage constructively in this regard with all the stakeholders,” spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at the MEA’s weekly briefing in Delhi. Jaiswal’s remarks come just days after an International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) court in Bangladesh sentenced Hasina — daughter of the country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman — to death for “crimes against humanity” during the student-led protests that led to her resignation and escape from the country.The tribunal ruled on November 17, after months of hearings, that Hasina had ordered killings, incited violence and failed to prevent “atrocities” during the July–August 2024 “student uprising.”Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder said the former prime minister had been found guilty on the three counts and that the court had decided to impose a single punishment — the death sentence.Hasina rejected the ICT’s verdict, alleging it was “biased and politically motivated.” Dhaka has repeatedly asked New Delhi to extradite the leader of the banned Awami League party. However, India is not automatically obliged to comply, as the 2013 extradition Treaty allows refusal if the offence is deemed “political” in nature, a provision under Article 6. The treaty also permits denial if extradition would be “unjust or oppressive” in the circumstances, under Article 8.Ties between the two countries have remained tense since Hasina’s ouster. Bangladesh is currently governed by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, with the next parliamentary elections scheduled for February 2026.