After the Bangladesh ICT-1 ordered execution of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the interim government in Dhaka has asked India to extradite her as soon as possible. The court declared Sheikh Hasina and the former Home Minister guilty of conducting crimes against humanity during the protests in Bangladesh in July-August 2024.
The leader is currently in exile in India, which makes India an important player in the entire episode. She fled to India on 5 August last year after the massive student-led protest ended the Awami League-led 15-year rule. The former Home Minister Azaduzzaman Khan Kamal, along with Sheikh Hasina, have been declared a fugitive by the court in Bangladesh, as he is also suspected to be in exile in India.
While Hasina has been convicted of over five charges against the student protestors last year. Tajul Islam, the chief prosecutor, stated that Hasina was the nucleus of the crimes in the country. Reacting to the charges, Sheikh Hasina has stated that she and the former home minister intended to only minimise the loss of life, and they have been wrongly framed.
However, she cannot appeal against the order until she surrenders or is arrested within 30 days of the order. The Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, has asked the Indian government to cooperate and hand over the convicts as soon as possible. The statement also said that, as per the existing extradition agreement between India and Bangladesh, New Delhi must surrender the convicts to the Bangladeshi authorities as soon as possible.
The Foreign Ministry went ahead to add that sheltering the convicts is an unfriendly act and may be seen as “unjust”. Indian authorities have also responded and assured the government in Dhaka that the government will cooperate and engage peacefully with all stakeholders to ensure peace in the region. The MEA has commented on the statement and states that they will work to maintain peace in the region, but have not made any statement regarding Hasina’s extradition.
As per the extradition treaty between the two countries in 2013, and amended in 2016, both countries have eased clauses to ensure the extradition of fugitives. The condition, however, remains that extradition requires that the crime is punishable in both countries, which can act as India’s discretion to deny the extradition, as it can be seen in a biased political light.
