Bangladesh Writes To India, Citing Extradition Pact For Hasina’s Return
Bangladesh maintains that Hasina must face the legal consequences outlined by the tribunal and has pressed India to act in accordance.
Bangladesh has formally requested India to hand over former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after a tribunal sentenced the Awami League leader to death for crimes against humanity linked to last year’s student crackdown. In a statement, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said New Delhi has an “obligatory responsibility” under the existing extradition agreement between the two countries to ensure Hasina’s return. The ministry warned that providing refuge to individuals convicted of such crimes would be “a highly unfriendly act and a disregard for justice,” citing the International Crimes Tribunal’s findings delivered earlier today.
Extradition Demand To India
In a formal letter to New Delhi, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry invoked the bilateral extradition agreement, stating it was India’s “obligatory responsibility” to facilitate Sheikh Hasina’s return following the tribunal’s ruling. The letter stressed that “providing refuge to these individuals, who have been convicted of crimes against humanity, by any other country would be a highly unfriendly act and a disregard for justice.”
The letter followed a day of major legal developments in Dhaka, where the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) found Hasina guilty on multiple counts over her government’s alleged role in a violent crackdown on student protesters last year. The verdict was issued in Hasina’s absence, as she has been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh on 5 August 2024.
Tribunal Names More Convicted Officials
The ICT-BD verdict also convicted former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, finding him guilty on several counts related to the student crackdown. Alongside him, former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was also found guilty of committing “crimes against humanity.”
Bangladesh maintains that all three individuals must face the legal consequences outlined by the tribunal and has pressed India to act in accordance with the extradition framework between the two neighbours. The demand places fresh diplomatic pressure on New Delhi, which has not yet publicly commented on the extradition request.
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