Fresh diplomatic request sent to New Delhi amid rising tensions and ongoing political turmoil in Dhaka. Bangladesh’s interim Government has issued a new extradition request to India seeking the return of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, just days after she was handed a death sentence by the International Crimes Tribunal. Hasina, has been residing in India since August 2024, when she fled Dhaka during the student-led “July Uprising” that toppled her long-standing Government.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain confirmed on Sunday that Dhaka has sent an additional note verbale to New Delhi through the Bangladesh High Commission. Reports from the Dhaka Tribune and the state-run BSS indicate that the communication was dispatched shortly after National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman returned from a regional security dialogue held in the Indian capital.
According to officials, this is the third formal extradition request Bangladesh has submitted since Hasina left the country. Earlier appeals were issued in December 2024 and again after the tribunal concluded its proceedings. Dhaka has also sought India’s assistance in locating and returning former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who received a death sentence in the same case and is believed to be hiding in India.
Meanwhile, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who testified for the prosecution, was sentenced to five years in prison. Following Monday’s verdict, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry publicly reminded India that the bilateral extradition treaty obligates both countries to return convicted individuals. The ministry cautioned that providing refuge to anyone found guilty of crimes against humanity would constitute “a grave act of unfriendly conduct” and undermine justice.
India, in its official response, said it had taken note of the tribunal’s ruling and reiterated its commitment to supporting peace and stability in Bangladesh. However, New Delhi has not directly addressed whether it intends to comply with the extradition request.
Security analysts in Dhaka say treaty provisions and international norms place an expectation on India to act on the formal request. ANM Muniruzzaman of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies noted that, despite Hasina being tried in absentia, the tribunal adhered to recognised legal standards.
Bangladesh has been grappling with widespread unrest since Hasina’s removal from power. UN reports estimate that about 1,400 people died during the July–August 2024 crackdown, figures that served as the basis for the charges against her. The uprising eventually paved the way for Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to head the interim administration.
Relations between Bangladesh and India, once warm under Hasina’s leadership, have cooled significantly since her ouster. However, Rahman’s recent trip to New Delhi may indicate attempts at diplomatic repair, with reports suggesting he invited India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to visit Dhaka. The extradition request places additional pressure on India as both countries navigate shifting political realities and a sensitive regional security landscape.