B’desh seeks Sheikh Hasina's extradition from India

Dhaka Bangladesh has urged India to expedite the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, saying that her return requires both a legal process and political intent. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said on Sunday that Dhaka expected New Delhi to take steps to move the extradition process forward. She said Hasina could be brought back under the extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh, although some legal experts have questioned whether the treaty provisions apply to her case. Her comments came a day after Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said India could not provide a timeframe for Hasina’s return. He said Bangladesh’s request was being examined through an established legal process involving the courts. “Nobody can give you a timeframe,” Trivedi said at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka. He reiterated that the Indian government had maintained that the matter was being handled through a structured legal procedure. Hasina, 79, has been living in India since August 2024, when she left Bangladesh following the collapse of her government amid a major anti-government movement. A special tribunal in Bangladesh later tried her in absentia and sentenced her to death in connection with the crackdown on the protests. Hasina and her supporters have rejected the proceedings. The extradition issue has become a major point of tension in India-Bangladesh relations. Bangladesh has repeatedly pressed for Hasina’s return, while India has maintained that the request remains under examination through established procedures. Dhaka has now renewed its demand for the process to be expedited, while New Delhi has given no fixed timeline for a decision.