Bangladesh demands India extradite Sheikh Hasina after death sentence

Guwahati: Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, has formally asked India to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

The request came immediately after the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) sentenced both leaders to death for crimes against humanity.

The tribunal delivered its verdict after months of proceedings linked to last year’s violent crackdown on student-led protests.

The court also convicted former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who received a five-year prison term.

According to UN estimates, up to 1,400 people were killed during the unrest, many reportedly shot by security forces.

Hasina fled Bangladesh in August 2024 during the height of the protests and has since taken refuge in New Delhi. Reacting to the tribunal’s judgment, she dismissed the trial as politically driven and illegitimate.

She accused the interim administration of manipulating the judicial process and stated that she never received a fair opportunity to defend herself.

Hasina maintained that she was ready to face her accusers in a proper, impartial court where evidence could be scrutinized fairly.

The interim government, however, welcomed the ruling. Chief Adviser Yunus described the verdict as a step toward justice and insisted that every individual, regardless of their position, must remain accountable under the law.

Officials in Dhaka emphasized that the bilateral extradition treaty obligates India to return Hasina and Kamal to face the sentence handed down by the ICT-BD.

They argued that providing shelter to the convicted leaders would undermine justice and strain diplomatic relations.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded cautiously, noting the request and stating that New Delhi would engage constructively while monitoring the evolving situation in Bangladesh.