Bangladesh renews push for Sheikh Hasina’s return from India
Dhaka sends fresh diplomatic note to New Delhi after tribunal sentences Sheikh Hasina and her ex–home minister to death over 2024 protest crackdown
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh’s interim government has formally renewed its request for India to hand over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, days after a special tribunal sentenced her to death for crimes against humanity linked to last year’s July Uprising.
Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain said on Sunday that Dhaka dispatched a fresh letter to New Delhi on Friday, marking the second diplomatic communication since the trial began. According to officials, the move follows last week’s verdict by the International Crimes Tribunal, an independent war-crimes court in Bangladesh.
The tribunal convicted three individuals in its latest ruling: Hasina and her former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal received the death penalty, while ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun — who turned state witness — was given a five-year prison sentence.
Both Hasina and Kamal have been in India since the Awami League government collapsed on August 5, 2024.
In a statement released shortly after the tribunal announced its decision, the foreign ministry again called on New Delhi to return the two former officials to face sentencing in Bangladesh. Local media reported that Law Advisor Asif Nazrul had earlier confirmed that an updated extradition request would be sent to India in light of the conviction.
Nazrul reiterated the position three days later, saying the government believes India now has “added responsibility” given that the accused have been formally convicted and sentenced. The interim administration had initially written to New Delhi in December, when proceedings against Hasina officially began.
India has not publicly responded to the renewed request. Last month, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that New Delhi was reviewing the matter from a legal standpoint, without offering a timeline for a decision.
The case has added a new diplomatic layer to an already sensitive political moment in Bangladesh, where the July Uprising and the subsequent fall of the Awami League remain deeply polarizing issues.
Analysts say Dhaka’s insistence on extradition signals the interim government’s desire to assert legal closure, but India’s response will determine how quickly — or whether — the process moves forward.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
