Dhaka Demands India Extradite Hasina After Death Sentence

Hours after a special tribunal sentenced former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity, the interim government of Bangladesh officially renewed and intensified its request to India for her immediate extradition.

The International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh (ICT-BD) convicted Hasina, who has been living in exile in New Delhi since fleeing the country during the student-led "July Uprising" in 2024, of being the "mastermind" behind the deadly crackdown that resulted in numerous deaths and severe human rights abuses.

In a strongly worded statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka asserted that New Delhi is "obligated" to hand over the former leader, along with former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, under the bilateral 2013 Extradition Treaty.

The ministry warned that any country providing shelter to individuals convicted of such grave crimes against humanity would be committing an "extremely unfriendly act and a disregard for justice" against the Bangladeshi people.

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus also weighed in, hailing the court’s ruling as an affirmation that "no one, regardless of power, is above the law" and that the verdict delivers "vital, if insufficient, justice" to the victims and their families.

India’s response has been notably cautious. The Ministry of External Affairs acknowledged the verdict but remained non-committal on the extradition demand.

In its public statement, the MEA said only that India has "noted" the ruling by the ICT-BD and, as a close neighbor, remains committed to the "best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion and stability."

This measured response avoids either accepting or rejecting the extradition request, a position India has maintained since Dhaka first sought her return in December 2024.

Legal analysts suggest India is unlikely to act in haste, pointing to the same extradition treaty that Bangladesh cites, which includes a key clause allowing the refusal of extradition if the offense is deemed "political in character" or if the accusation is not made "in good faith in the interests of justice" grounds Hasina and her party have repeatedly claimed apply to her conviction.

Sources: The Economic Times, India Today, The Times of India, The Hindu, The Prin