DHAKA – Bangladesh has formally requested India to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two nations. The move follows the sentencing of Hasina to death by the International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh (ICT-BD) on November 17, 2025, for "crimes against humanity".
The official extradition request was conveyed through a "note verbal" (official diplomatic letter) sent via the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. Foreign Affairs Adviser Mohammed Touhid Hossain confirmed that the letter was sent on Friday, November 21, 2025. However, further details regarding the letter's contents have not been disclosed. According to the Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo, this is the third official extradition request made since Hasina fled the country.
Sheikh Hasina, 78, along with then Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, were tried in absentia. Hasina's Awami League government was overthrown on August 5, 2024, during a student-led protest known as the 'July Uprising'. She subsequently fled to India amidst the unrest, which the UN estimates resulted in over 1,400 deaths between July 15 and August 15, 2024. Kamal is also believed to be in hiding in India.
Law adviser Asif Nazrul indicated that the interim government is considering appealing to the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the return of Hasina and Kamal. He stated that a letter requesting their extradition would be sent to Delhi.
This is not the first time Bangladesh has sought Hasina's extradition. In December 2024, the interim government sent a diplomatic note verbal to India with the same request. India acknowledged receipt of the note but did not provide any further comment.
Following the recent verdict against Hasina, India's External Affairs Ministry issued a statement noting the verdict. The statement affirmed India's commitment to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including "peace, democracy, inclusion and stability" and pledged to engage constructively with all stakeholders.
The Foreign Ministry in Dhaka issued a statement asserting that it is a "grave act of unfriendly behavior and a travesty of justice for any other country to grant asylum to these individuals convicted of crimes against humanity".
Bangladesh and India share a mutual extradition treaty signed in 2013. Bangladesh is scheduled to hold its first elections since the protests in February 2026. The Awami League remains barred from political activities.
The situation has created strained relations between the two South Asian neighbors.
