India’s formal request to Bangladesh for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after she was ousted in largely student-led protests, poses a diplomatic puzzle for New Delhi, analysts say. Has gone.
Following the departure of Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi during her 15-year rule in neighboring Bangladesh, India has been trying to build ties with the new administration, which has requested her to return to “face the judicial process”. Have done.
Confirming that it had received a diplomatic note for his extradition, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday that “we have no comment to give on this matter.”
Political analysts say relations with Dhaka, already strained, are likely to become further strained over the extradition request.
“This will put Delhi in an uncomfortable position and weaken relations with the interim government because India may not accede to this request,” said Manoj Joshi, distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. “He has sought political asylum here.”
Hasina’s extradition request comes two months after the Dhaka-based International Criminal Tribunal issued an arrest warrant for the country’s former prime minister. He was called to face charges of “crimes against humanity” committed during the demonstrations, which left hundreds dead.
However, analysts say there is no possibility of India accepting the extradition request. The two countries have an extradition treaty, but it allows requests to be refused if the offense is of a “political nature”.
“There are no circumstances under which I can imagine New Delhi accepting this request,” said Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center, the South Asia Institute in Washington. “Hasina has arguably been our neighbor and India’s closest friend for a long time. New Delhi is not going to turn away from it. It will probably try to invoke a clause in the extradition treaty to justify not handing him over to Dhaka.
The formal request from New Delhi comes two weeks after talks between India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and the interim government in Dhaka, raising hopes that relations between the South Asian neighbors will be stabilized. This was the first high-level diplomatic meeting between the two countries after relations came under strain following Hasina’s exit.
India has complained about attacks on minority Hindus in the Muslim-majority country in recent months. Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who met Misri, said the reports were exaggerated and asked India to help remove the ‘clouds’ that have cast a shadow over relations in recent days. Both countries said they are keen to pursue constructive relations.
However, the extradition request will be seen as an obstacle to efforts to get the relationship back on track. Analyst Joshi said, “The Bangladesh government is putting pressure on India saying that if you want friendly relations, then take him back.”
According to analysts in Dhaka, India’s strong support for Hasina during her 15-year rule was seen by many in Bangladesh as contributing to the erosion of democracy in the country and anger against India had deepened. Hasina was regarded as an authoritarian ruler who clamped down on dissent.
“In Bangladesh, there is widespread support for Hasina to be brought back to face trial. According to Khandakar Tahmid Rezwan, a researcher at the Bangladesh Peace Observatory in Dhaka, “If India does not bring him back, which it is unlikely to do, it will further deepen anti-India sentiment in the country.”
Hasina’s presence in India has made it challenging for Delhi to develop friendly relations with the new interim government in Dhaka. For India, strong ties with Bangladesh are important to ensure stability along its 4096 km long border, where it already faces hostile borders with Pakistan and China. It is also important for the security of the northeastern states that share the border with Bangladesh. Trade has increased and both countries have created connectivity projects to boost economic ties.
“India will take a soft stance on the extradition issue for now,” said Tara Kartha, director of research and analysis at the Center for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi. ”It is expected that once the elected government comes, they will soften their stance after some time. There is anti-India sentiment, but you certainly will not signal to the entire neighborhood that you will not stand with a former ally.
Yunus has said that Bangladesh’s next elections will be held in late 2025 or early 2026. Although the issue will be troubling in the coming months, analysts say that in the long run, the two countries will smooth relations.
“India probably knew that Bangladesh would request (extradition), and I’m sure Dhaka would assume that New Delhi would say no,” Kugelman said, adding that although the relationship is in a “poor state”, the issue is “somewhat is” They can work around.”
