Bangladesh seeks India's reply on Sheikh Hasina extradition bid

Dhaka,UPDATED: Jul 16, 2026 21:52 IST

Bangladesh has said it expects India to respond to its repeated communications seeking the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and others who have either been convicted or are facing trial in the country. Dhaka also said Hasina would be arrested as soon as she returns to Bangladesh, as there is no legal scope for her to surrender after sentencing.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said the issue should not be seen as an obstacle in ties with India, adding that bilateral relations between the two neighbours would continue and remain multi-dimensional.

"We hope that India will respond to our repeated communications and letters regarding Sheikh Hasina and other accused persons who are currently there and who have either been convicted or are facing trial in Bangladesh. We expect them to expedite the process through diplomatic channels and facilitate their return," she told reporters.

Hasina, 78, the daughter of Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was toppled in a violent student-led street protest on August 5, 2024. She has been living in India since she fled Dhaka after the collapse of her government. In November last, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced her to death in absentia for alleged "crimes against humanity" over her government's brutal crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.

Hasina has dismissed the death penalty, criminal convictions and charges against her as "politically motivated". Since the verdict, Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her. Last week, sources close to Hasina said she was preparing to return to Dhaka by December and that it would be a completely voluntary decision.

Shama said, "Since a sentence has already been passed, an accused person no longer has any legal opportunity to surrender. Therefore, whenever she returns to Bangladesh, she will be arrested. That is what the law requires." She also said, "I do not think the Sheikh Hasina issue will disrupt relations between Bangladesh and India. Bilateral relations will remain in place, and relations between the two countries are always multi-dimensional."

On Monday, Shama said Hasina would be jailed upon her return to Bangladesh. On Tuesday, Prime Minister's adviser for information and strategy Zahed Ur Rahman "welcomed" Hasina's plan to return home, saying she must face justice as a death penalty convict. He, however, said the court could revise the verdict against Hasina or acquit her. "That too could happen," he said, adding that the government was not under any pressure over her planned return.

Bangladesh has thus renewed its call for India's response to its extradition request, while saying Hasina would be arrested if she returns and that the issue need not disrupt ties between the two countries.

With PTI Inputs

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