Bangladesh asks India to speed up Sheikh Hasina extradition process

Bangladesh has asked India to speed up the extradition of Sheikh Hasina. Dhaka says the legal process also requires political intent and is weighing on bilateral ties.

In Short

• Bangladesh urged India to expedite Sheikh Hasina's extradition through existing treaty
• Dhaka said legal procedure alone was insufficient without clear political intent
• India maintained Hasina's return request was under structured judicial examination

Bangladesh on Sunday said it expected India to speed up the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, saying her return would need not just a legal process but also “political intent”. The remarks came a day after Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi said no timeframe could be given for Hasina’s return as Dhaka’s request was being examined through a legal process involving the courts.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said Bangladesh hoped India would take steps to expedite the process. Asked if Hasina could be brought back under the extradition treaty between New Delhi and Dhaka, she replied, “certainly”.

“There is certainly a legal process involved, but political intent is also necessary,” Islam told a media briefing at her office. She said, “The accused (Hasina) can be brought back under the treaty, and that process is being taken forward,” though some legal experts have questioned whether the treaty applies in her case.

Trivedi had said on Saturday at a discussion organised by a private think tank in Dhaka, “Nobody can give you a timeframe (over Hasina’s return).” He added, “Again and again, the government of India has replied to this that there is a process, and the process is legal, and it is well structured.”

Hasina, 79, has been living in India since fleeing Dhaka on August 5, 2024, after a student-led agitation, dubbed the July Uprising, toppled her Awami League government. A special tribunal later tried her in absentia and sentenced her to death over the crackdown on the protests. Hasina and her supporters have described it as a “kangaroo court”.

The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government had sought her extradition through a diplomatic note, while India has said the request is being examined under established processes. After coming to power following the February 12 elections, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party government renewed the demand. In August, Rahman urged Trivedi to expedite the extradition process and stressed the need to create a “conducive environment” for improving bilateral relations.

Hasina, meanwhile, has said she intends to return to Bangladesh voluntarily by December to face the legal process. The extradition issue has become a major irritant in India-Bangladesh ties, which worsened sharply after her ouster. India invited Rahman to attend last month’s BRICS Summit, and a separate bilateral invitation had been in place since February, but he did not attend the summit or visit New Delhi after taking office.

Overall, Bangladesh has renewed its push for Hasina’s return, while India has maintained that the matter is moving through a legal process with no clear timeline.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends