New Delhi is currently examining an official request from Bangladesh for the extradition of its former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. The development follows a renewed appeal from Dhaka to India for Hasina's return, a day after Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed India's position, stating, "We have made it very clear that this issue is being examined in line with established processes on the Indian side. We will give you an update when there is one."
Hasina, aged 78, has been residing in India since August 2024, when she fled Dhaka following the collapse of her government amidst widespread anti-government protests. Bangladesh seeks her extradition in connection with cases stemming from a crackdown on student-led demonstrations that year.
The International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic court, last year sentenced Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death. They were convicted of "crimes against humanity" for their roles in suppressing the 2024 protests. A previous government led by Muhammad Yunus had also sought Hasina's extradition on similar charges.
In a related diplomatic exchange, spokesperson Jaiswal also confirmed that two separate invitations have been extended to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit India. One invitation is for a bilateral trip, and the other is for Rahman to attend the outreach session of the BRICS Summit, scheduled to be hosted by India in New Delhi in September. India extended the BRICS outreach invitation to Rahman in his capacity as the current chair of BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.