India says examining Bangladesh's request to extradite ex-Premier Hasina

NEW DELHI

India is examining a request from Bangladesh to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in a popular uprising and fled to India in August last year, a senior Indian official said on Wednesday.

“Yes, we have received the request and this request is being examined,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters.

“As part of ongoing judicial and internal legal processes, we remain committed to the best interest of the people of Bangladesh, including peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country,” Jaiswal said.

New Delhi will “continue to engage constructively in this regard with all stakeholders,” he added.

The request was first made in December last year and reiterated this month after a Bangladeshi court sentenced the fugitive Hasina to death over crimes against humanity committed during last year’s protests that ousted her government.

She fled to India on Aug. 5, 2024, at the height of the mass uprising, a crackdown on which, the UN says, led to the deaths of over 1,400 people.

The International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka found her guilty and sentenced her to death in absentia on Nov. 17.

Bangladesh is scheduled to hold elections in February 2026, the first since the protests led to the ouster of Hasina last year. Her Awami League party was barred from any political activity due to terror-linked activities.