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Maria Siow

India’s agreement to review Dhaka’s request for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition could hint at more flexibility over a deeply political issue, but observers warn that does not mean New Delhi is ready to hand the former Bangladesh ruler over just yet.
The ex-prime minister fled to India in August 2024 after her regime fell to protesters.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on April 17 it was conducting a formal review of Dhaka’s extradition request.
The announcement – a significant shift from India’s previous non-committal stance – comes as Delhi tries to balance its legal obligations with a desire to stabilise ties with the new government in Dhaka.

On April 8, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman met Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for a series of high-level talks in Delhi.
Abhinav Mehrotra, an associate professor at the OP Jindal Global University’s Law School, said while India’s claim of “actively reviewing” the request was “meaningful”, it was still procedural language.
“Governments often use it to signal openness without committing,” he said. “Compared to ignoring or rejecting the request outright, it does suggest a slightly more flexible stance but not necessarily that India is ready to hand her over.”
Hasina’s exile followed a violent mass uprising and a deadly crackdown on student-led protests – fuelled by high youth unemployment and alleged economic mismanagement – that ended her 15-year rule.


In November, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for crimes against humanity during the protests.
India has historically avoided extraditing individuals facing capital punishment, often citing humanitarian reasons.
During Hasina’s tenure from 2009 to 2024, India viewed her as a close ally who had addressed India’s security concerns, especially those relating to Islamist extremism and regional connectivity.
‘Political issue’
As Hasina’s extradition was “a political issue” rather than a legal one, it should be tackled in bilateral talks, said Amit Ranjan, research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Institute of South Asian Studies.
India’s appointing former federal minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dinesh Trivedi as the next high commissioner to Bangladesh “clearly indicates that India wants to address some of the political issues between the two countries in a political manner”, he said.
The appointment marks a significant shift from appointing career diplomats and is widely seen as an attempt by India to repair ties with its neighbour after a period of strain.
Bilateral ties reached a historic low following Hasina’s ousting and her asylum in India, as well as rising anti-India sentiment and attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

Policies adopted by interim leader Muhammad Yunus had also contributed to the strain, including attempts to foster close ties with India’s arch-rival Pakistan, and invitations to Chinese entities to operate in Bangladesh.
Yunus was also vocal in criticising India for “backing and hosting” Hasina, saying that ties were hit because India “did not like” the student-led revolution.
Following Bangladesh National Party’s (BNP) landslide victory, led by Tarique Rahman in February, both countries have taken steps to mend ties, including the phased resumption of visa services and high-level diplomatic talks this month.
India’s long-term goal was to revive Hasina’s Awami League, with its former leader playing a critical role in this effort, said Shanthie Mariet D’Souza, founder and president at the Mantraya Institute for Strategic Studies in Goa.
“Surrendering her to Dhaka would effectively mean the end of the Awami League,” she said.
While India is willing to engage with the new government, it remains cautious about Dhaka’s relations with Pakistan and China.

“Hasina will always be a strategic asset for Delhi” particularly in applying pressure on Dhaka if the BNP government returned to its anti-India stance, D’Souza said.
Hasina has been the party’s president since 1981 and under her leadership, it held power continuously from 2009 until her ousting in 2024.
If extradition moves forward, Mehrotra said that Bangladesh would send a formal request to India under the Extradition Act 1962, the Indian legislation governing the surrender of fugitives.
After Delhi reviews the request, a court will examine whether there is a valid legal case. Hasina can challenge the request in court.
“Even if the court agrees, the final call is political, and the Indian government can still approve or refuse extradition,” Mehrotra said.


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India opens door to Sheikh Hasina extradition talks: a Delhi-Dhaka thaw?

Sheikh Hasina speaks to the media after casting her vote in Dhaka on January 7, 2024. Photo: AP

India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar (right) shakes hands with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Khalilur Rahman, during a meeting in New Delhi on April 8. Photo: India’s Ministry of External Affairs/AFP

Muhammad Yunus speaks after signing the July National Charter, aimed at ensuring democratic reform, on October 17, 2025. Photo: AFP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) poses with Sheikh Hasina before their meeting in Delhi on September 6, 2022. Photo: AFP

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Fuel nozzles at a Bharat Petroleum gas station in New Delhi. Photo: AFP

Indian vessel ‘Nanda Devi’ carrying LPG arrives at a port in Gujarat state on Tuesday after Iran allowed it to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFP via Getty Images/TNS

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his then Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi in 2024. Photo: AP

Hope for India-Bangladesh reset after arrests in student leader’s killing

An activist holds a poster of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi during a rally in Dhaka in December 2025. Hadi died after he was shot in the head during an election campaign. Photo: AFP


Security forces stand guard at the entrance of Bangladesh’s parliament complex in Dhaka ahead of funeral prayers for activist Sharif Osman Hadi on December 20, 2025. Photo: AP

Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairman Tarique Rahman. Photo: AFP

Bangladesh’s outreach to India ‘a good beginning’ for easing strained ties

Tarique Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), shows a victory sign following the BNP’s victory in the general election, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed his “best wishes and support” to the BNP’s Tarique Rahman. Photo: AFP

Supporters of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami party during an election campaign rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in January. Photo: Reuters

Freight containers at the Chattogram Port in Bangladesh on February 1. Moody’s Ratings has warned that sporadic protests and localised lapses in law and order continue to weigh on economic activity. Photo: AFP

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets then Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina before a meeting in New Delhi on June 22, 2024. Photo: AP

Voters arrive in Yangon to cast ballots during the second phase of Myanmar’s election on Sunday. Photo: EPA

Anti-government protesters in Dhaka stormed the palace of then-Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Photo: AFP

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The former Bangladeshi leader and close Indian ally remains ‘a strategic asset for Delhi’, an analyst says


The former Bangladeshi leader and close Indian ally remains ‘a strategic asset for Delhi’, an analyst says.


India opens door to Sheikh Hasina extradition talks: a Delhi-Dhaka thaw?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The former Bangladeshi leader and close Indian ally remains ‘a strategic asset for Delhi’, an analyst says

The former Bangladeshi leader and close Indian ally remains ‘a strategic asset for Delhi’, an analyst says