The decision marks a dramatic escalation in bilateral tensions between Bangladesh and its neighbour. Hasina, 78, fled to India after her government was ousted in August 2024 amid a mass student-led uprising in which United Nations figures estimate around 1,400 people were killed. On 17 November 2025 the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh convicted Hasina and her then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in absentia and sentenced them to death.
Dhaka’s note to New Delhi invokes the 2013 bilateral extradition treaty and emphasises India’s “obligatory responsibility” to hand over individuals convicted of crimes against humanity, calling continued shelter for them “a travesty of justice and a grave act of unfriendly conduct”. India’s External Affairs Ministry responded only by saying it had “noted” the verdict and reaffirming its commitment to peace, democracy and stability in Bangladesh; no commitment to act on the extradition request was signalled.
Observers say the extradition demand is consistent with the interim government’s strategy to impose accountability on Hasina’s era and to consolidate its reform agenda ahead of general elections scheduled under its watch. The tribunal’s verdict fulfils a pledge by the transitional regime to pursue leaders who oversaw the deployment of force against protestors during the uprising. Analysts note that India’s refusal or delay in complying may be driven by diplomatic caution, concerns over precedent and the potential for domestic backlash given Hasina’s previous political standing; one policy expert in Dhaka described New Delhi’s silence as untenable under the circumstances.
Bangladesh’s opposition party, the Awami League, which Hasina once led, dismissed the trial as politically motivated and said the government lacked legitimacy. The interim authority, however, stands by the tribunal process, asserting that international standards of justice were upheld and signalling readiness to escalate to international legal bodies should India fail to act.