Examining Dhaka's request to extradite Hasina: MEA

India on Wednesday said it is “examining” Bangladesh’s request seeking the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been residing in India since her ouster last year following massive student-led protests in Dhaka.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during the weekly media briefing, said the request was being processed through “ongoing judicial and internal legal procedures”.

“The request is being examined as part of ongoing judicial and internal legal processes. We remain committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country, and will continue to engage constructively in this regard with all stakeholders,” Jaiswal said.

The measured response comes after Bangladesh formally urged India to deny refuge and extradite Hasina and her former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, hours after a Dhaka tribunal earlier this month sentenced both leaders to death for crimes against humanity. Hasina’s close aide and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was handed a prison term.

The tribunal had ruled that the former Prime Minister had ordered a widespread and systematic assault on unarmed demonstrators during the July–August 2024 agitation against the controversial quota system for government jobs. It further held her responsible for authorising the use of drones, helicopters and lethal weapons to quell the protests.

Hasina, who has dismissed the verdict as politically motivated, has accused the interim government of “hijacking” the tribunal to eliminate the Awami League. She claims she was denied independent legal representation and that the proceedings were influenced by “extremist figures” within the unelected administration.

The escalating diplomatic exchange sets the stage for a sensitive test in India-Bangladesh relations, with New Delhi cautious about being drawn into Bangladesh’s deepening political churn even as Dhaka presses for the return of its former leader.

India has so far avoided any commitment on extradition, reiterating that it will continue to act in the interest of “peace, democracy and stability” in the neighbouring country.