Bangladesh says ‘situation different now’, awaits India’s response on Hasina extradition

Dhaka expects India's response on Hasina extradition, says situation different now

Bangladesh’s interim government said on Wednesday it is waiting for India’s official response to its latest request seeking the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, stressing that the situation has changed after her conviction by a special tribunal.

Foreign Affairs Adviser M Touhid Hossain confirmed that an “official letter” had been sent to New Delhi through the Bangladesh High Commission last week. “I do not expect that they (India) will answer within a week of Dhaka’s request, but we expect we will get an answer,” Hossain told reporters.

He noted that an earlier request issued in December received “no reply”, but added that “the situation is different now” since the legal process has concluded and sentencing has been delivered.

This comes after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) acknowledged Bangladesh’s request for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, confirming that the matter is under review.

Responding publicly for the first time, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a media briefing in New Delhi: “Yes, we have received that request, and the request is being examined... We remain committed to the people of Bangladesh... We will continue to engage constructively in this regard with all the stakeholders.”

The request from Dhaka comes amid ongoing political tensions following Hasina’s ouster earlier this year. Hasina, 78, was sentenced to death in absentia on November 17 in a case involving charges of “crimes against humanity”.

The interim administration in Dhaka, led by Muhammad Yunus, has been pushing for Hasina’s return since the tribunal issued its verdict earlier this month. The former leader has been staying in India since the uprising that ousted her government in August.

Along with Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also sentenced to death and is believed to have crossed into India. Another accused, former police officer Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, was given a five-year term after cooperating with the investigation.

Hasina’s fall from power followed the student-led movement known as the “July Uprising”, which forced her resignation on August 5. Human rights groups estimate that more than 1,400 people were killed during the unrest preceding her ouster.