India Refuses Deadline for Sheikh Hasina Extradition to Bangladesh

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi stated that India cannot provide a deadline for the extradition of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation in Dhaka, Trivedi explained that the request is currently undergoing a structured legal examination involving the courts.

Trivedi defended India's decision to grant Hasina entry in August 2024, describing her arrival as unexpected and occurring without the involvement of the Indian military. He asserted that Hasina arrived on a Bangladeshi military aircraft and that India had hardly any choice but to accept her given she was still the prime minister at the time. He noted that refusing her entry could have led to a completely different situation.

Hasina has remained in India since fleeing Dhaka following the July Uprising and the collapse of her government. She was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in 2025. The current government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has endorsed a ban on Hasina's Awami League party and continues to demand her return.

The extradition dispute has strained bilateral relations. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has declined invitations to New Delhi and the BRICS Summit, while Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed declared that Hasina would be arrested immediately upon her return. Despite these tensions, Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir indicated that discussions regarding a potential visit by Rahman to India remain positive.