DHAKA – India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, announced Saturday that there is no set timeline for the return of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since August 2024. Trivedi's remarks came during the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka, where he addressed persistent inquiries regarding Bangladesh's extradition request for Hasina.
Legal Process Underway for Extradition
Trivedi emphasized that the Indian government is processing Dhaka's extradition request through a well-structured legal framework. "Nobody can give you a time frame (over Hasina's return)," he stated, reiterating India's consistent position that the matter is subject to due legal process.
Sheikh Hasina departed Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, amidst a widespread uprising, initially triggered by a government job-quota system, which escalated into a broader anti-government movement and ultimately led to the collapse of her administration. She was transported to India by a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft and escorted by Bangladesh Army-led security personnel as protesters advanced towards her official residence.
The Indian envoy clarified that India had little choice but to accept Hasina's arrival. "At that point in time, she (Hasina) was still the prime minister of Bangladesh. We had hardly any choice on that," Trivedi explained, characterizing the circumstances as "tragic" and expressing a hope that such events would not recur.
Strained Diplomatic Relations
Hasina's government was succeeded by an interim administration under Muhammad Yunus on August 8, 2024. Relations between India and Bangladesh have since deteriorated, marked by the extradition demand, concerns over minority attacks, and Dhaka's increasing engagement with China.
In 2025, a special tribunal in Bangladesh tried Hasina in absentia and sentenced her to death. Her political party, the Awami League, was also disbanded. Following the February 2026 elections, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's BNP government endorsed the ban on the Awami League and has repeatedly renewed the extradition demand through diplomatic channels.
Hasina's Vow to Return Amidst Controversy
The extradition issue has also impacted a proposed visit by Prime Minister Rahman to New Delhi. While India extended invitations for the BRICS Summit and a bilateral meeting, Rahman has not yet visited. Bangladesh's foreign ministry has indicated positivity about discussions for the visit, but no date has been finalized.
Further tensions arose after Hasina held a virtual press conference from New Delhi on August 5, her first public media interaction since leaving Bangladesh. During the event, she declared her determination to return home in December, undeterred by potential imprisonment or a death sentence. Bangladesh's foreign ministry subsequently claimed that Hasina's virtual interaction had "vitiated" the process for Rahman's proposed visit, though India maintained it had no role in the event and did not endorse any statements made about the Bangladeshi government.