Jaishankar on Sheikh Hasina’s India stay: ‘She can stay as long as she wants’

S Jaishankar says Hasina can stay in India for as long as she wants

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s continued stay in India is a personal decision influenced by the situation that forced her to leave Dhaka.

Asked whether India would allow her to stay “as long as she wants," Jaishankar told NDTV, “Well, that's a different issue, isn't it? She came here in a certain circumstance, and I think that circumstance clearly sort of is a factor in what happens to her. But again, that is something in which she has to make up her mind.”

Hasina fled to India in August last year following widespread political unrest in Bangladesh during which hundreds were killed and thousands injured. Last month, the 78-year-old leader was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal for “crimes against humanity” linked to her government’s response to student-led protests.

India’s position on Bangladesh’s political process

Turning to broader bilateral ties, Jaishankar emphasised India’s preference for a credible democratic process in Bangladesh.

Referring to concerns raised over previous elections, he said, “If the issue was the election, then the first order of business would be to conduct a fair election.”

He reiterated that India wants stability and democratic legitimacy for its neighbour, “Any democratic country likes to see the will of the people ascertained through a democratic process.”

Expressing optimism about future cooperation, he added: “I am quite confident that whatever comes out of the democratic process would have a balanced and mature view about the relationship and hopefully things would improve.”