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Last Updated:December 06, 2025, 14:42 IST
Jaishankar says Sheikh Hasina’s stay in India is her personal choice after fleeing Dhaka amid violence. He urges a fair election in Bangladesh and hopes for stable ties.
EAM S Jaishankar | File Image
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s stay in India is a personal decision and that she can stay as long as she wants, shaped by the circumstances that forced her to flee Dhaka last year.
Hasina, who led Bangladesh for 15 years, escaped to India in August last year amid nationwide violence that killed hundreds and left thousands injured. The 78-year-old was sentenced to death in absentia last month by a special tribunal for “crimes against humanity" linked to her government’s crackdown on student-led protests.
Asked whether India would allow her to stay “as long as she wants," Jaishankar told NDTV:
“She came here in a certain circumstance, and that circumstance is clearly a factor in what happens to her. But that is something she must decide."
India’s Position on Bangladesh’s Political Crisis
Turning to New Delhi’s broader ties with Dhaka, Jaishankar underlined India’s long-standing preference for a credible and democratic political process in Bangladesh.
Referring to concerns raised by Bangladesh’s current leadership about past elections, he said:
“If the issue was the election, then the first order of business would be to conduct a fair election."
He stressed that India wishes Bangladesh stability and democratic legitimacy:
“Any democratic country likes to see the will of the people ascertained through a democratic process."
Expressing optimism about future bilateral ties, Jaishankar said he is confident that whatever emerges from a democratic process in Bangladesh will reflect a “balanced and mature view" of relations with India, and that things are likely to improve.
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First Published:
December 06, 2025, 14:42 IST
News india ‘She Can Stay For As Long As She Wants’: Jaishankar On Sheikh Hasina’s Exile In India
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