Bangladesh is pushing India to send back former prime minister Sheikh Hasina after a Dhaka court sentenced her to death in a sweeping crimes-against-humanity case tied to last year’s deadly student uprising. Hours after the verdict, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said India has an “obligatory responsibility” to extradite her and warned that sheltering her would be “extremely unfriendly.”
Hasina, now 78, was ousted during a mass revolt in August 2024 and fled to India soon after. She has been in hiding ever since. Her longtime interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also sentenced to death in absentia, and Bangladeshi officials say he, too, is believed to be in India.
India’s response was cautious. New Delhi said it had “noted the verdict,” adding only that it supports peace, democracy, and stability in Bangladesh—without directly mentioning extradition.
The verdict marks a dramatic reckoning for Hasina’s 15 years in power, a period defined by heavy-handed crackdowns, mass detentions, and the systematic targeting of political opponents. The tribunal said she directly ordered security forces to crush the July–August 2024 protests, which a UN report says left up to 1,400 people dead—mostly from gunfire.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and interim leader Muhammad Yunus hailed the ruling as historic, urging calm as the country braces for political fallout. Bangladesh has been on edge for days, with crude bomb blasts and vehicles torched across several cities, though no casualties have been reported.
Hasina, speaking to Reuters last month, dismissed the tribunal as illegitimate and politically motivated. She said she was denied a fair chance to defend herself and insisted she had no role in ordering lethal force. Her lawyers in Dhaka argued the charges were baseless.
Political stability remains shaky. Millions of Awami League supporters are furious, and Hasina’s camp says they will not appeal unless a new, elected government takes office with the party’s participation. Elections are expected in February 2026, but the atmosphere is already tense, with security forces deployed across Dhaka and other major cities.
A comeback seems unlikely
The International Crisis Group says Hasina’s chances of returning to Bangladesh’s political scene are “very slim.” Their senior consultant Thomas Kean noted that while the verdict carries massive political weight, Hasina’s refusal to step aside from the Awami League keeps the party locked out of the electoral arena.
Kean also pointed out that many Bangladeshis see the ruling as long overdue. A UN probe previously concluded that the 2024 crackdown happened with the “full knowledge and direction” of the political leadership, naming both Hasina and Kamal. The tribunal, he said, uncovered even more evidence, including recordings and testimony from the former police chief.
Still, questions about the fairness of an in-absentia trial linger—especially the speed of the proceedings and the limited defense resources. Kean said these concerns mirror deeper issues in the country’s justice system, but they do not erase the gravity of the crimes.
What happens next
Bangladesh insists India must return Hasina and Kamal. India has not said yes—and also not said no. With regional politics already running hot, the extradition question could define the next phase of relations between the two neighbors.
For now, Bangladesh is holding its breath. The verdict has shifted the political landscape, but the bigger question—whether Hasina will ever face trial in person—rests squarely with New Delhi.
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