Will India Send Back Sheikh Hasina? A Look at Bangladesh’s Extradition Request

On Wednesday, India confirmed that Bangladesh had submitted a request for Sheikh Hasina, the country's ousted prime minister, to be extradited. Dhaka has submitted an extradition request twice now.

The Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said,

“Yes, we have received a request. 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,” he said.

About four months after Hasina fled to India in response to widespread demonstrations that overthrew her 16-year-old regime, Dhaka sent a diplomatic letter to New Delhi in December of last year requesting her return. Bilateral relations, which have already been strained since Hasina's arrival on August 5, could be impacted by the development and will require skilful diplomacy.

“We have sent a note verbale (diplomatic message) to the Indian government saying that Bangladesh wants her back here for the judicial process,” Touhid Hossain, Foreign Affairs Advisor in Bangladesh’s interim government, had said last Friday.

Last week, Hasina was found guilty of "crimes against humanity and genocide" and given the death penalty by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka. Over the past year and a half, Hasina's public remarks and presence in India have strained relations between Bangladesh and India. Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government in Bangladesh, brought up this issue when he met with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Dhaka on December 9 of last year.

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