NEW DELHI, Nov 24: Bangladesh’s interim government has formally requested India to extradite deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, days after a special tribunal sentenced her to death on charges of “crimes against humanity.” The request was made through an official note verbale sent by the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on November 21, senior Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain confirmed.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) pronounced the verdict on November 17 against the 78-year-old former leader and her then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who was also sentenced to death. Both were tried in absentia, with Hasina currently residing in India and Kamal also believed to be hiding there.
Hasina’s ouster followed the violent “July Uprising” of August 2024, a student-led movement that toppled her government. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus later assumed charge of the interim government at the demand of the protestors. The tribunal accused Hasina’s administration of using brutal force to suppress the uprising, during which a UN rights office reported nearly 1,400 deaths between July 15 and August 15.
Bangladesh had earlier sent a diplomatic communication in December 2024 seeking her extradition, to which India had only acknowledged receipt. Following the recent verdict, India said it had “noted the verdict” and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting peace, democracy, inclusion, and stability in Bangladesh, adding that it would continue engaging constructively with all stakeholders.
The extradition request is expected to test diplomatic ties as both nations navigate an increasingly sensitive political landscape shaped by Bangladesh’s internal turmoil and the high-profile trial of its former prime minister.
