India weighs extradition request for ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina after death sentence

India says it is considering a formal request from Bangladesh to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was recently sentenced to death in absentia over her role in a violent crackdown on a mass uprising.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed on Wednesday that New Delhi is reviewing the appeal from Dhaka for the 78-year-old former leader, who fled to India after being toppled in August last year.

“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, adding that India would “continue to engage constructively in this regard with all stakeholders”.

Bangladesh first sought Hasina’s extradition last year. Officials said a renewed letter was sent on Sunday, pressing India to hand over the former leader following her conviction.

Hasina was sentenced to death on November 17 by a special International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka for crimes against humanity linked to a brutal suppression of protests that left more than 1,400 people dead, according to the United Nations.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry has framed the issue in stark diplomatic terms, arguing that India has an “obligatory responsibility” under a 2013 extradition treaty and calling any refusal a “grave act of unfriendly behaviour”. It also described providing asylum to Hasina as “a travesty of justice”.

Despite the pressure, analysts say India is unlikely to comply.

“India understands this [Hasina’s case] to be political vindictiveness of the ruling political forces in Bangladesh,” said Sanjay Bhardwaj of Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Hasina ruled Bangladesh for 15 years before fleeing amid the uprising. The political stakes remain high as the country prepares for its first general election since her fall, with her Awami League party banned from contesting.