Published : 16 Aug 2026, 07:17 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:33 AM
India's courts will ultimately decide whether ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina is extradited to Bangladesh, while New Delhi and Dhaka are holding discussions over the sensitive request, the Indian Express reports.
“The decision to extradite will be finally taken by our courts, it will not be a political or diplomatic decision,” a top Indian government official told the newspaper.
The official said the court process would examine whether the crimes alleged against Hasina are also recognised as offences under Indian law.
Another Indian official said Hasina had indicated that she planned to return to Bangladesh in December, describing it as the country's victory month. Hasina faces a death sentence in Bangladesh, while the Awami League’s activities have been banned.
The extradition request “cannot be decoupled from the current diplomatic exchanges” between New Delhi and Dhaka, the official said.
Asked earlier about Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's request for Hasina's extradition, India's Ministry of External Affairs said it was examining the matter under established procedures and would provide an update when available.
MEA officials told The Indian Express that Bangladesh's request had been submitted with the required legal documents under the 2013 extradition treaty between the two countries.
Hasina has been living in New Delhi at an undisclosed location since the mass uprising in Bangladesh in August 2024.
On Aug 5, she held a virtual press conference in which she said she was determined to return home.
The diplomatic discussions come after Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal convicted Hasina in November 2025 of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to death.
Awami League members have said the verdict could be challenged if extradition proceedings begin in an Indian court, including on grounds related to the interim government under which the tribunal delivered the verdict.
India and Bangladesh signed the extradition treaty in 2013. It provides for the return of people charged with, convicted of, or wanted to serve a judicially imposed sentence.
The treaty excludes offences of a political character but specifically lists crimes including murder, manslaughter, assault, use of firearms and incitement to murder as offences not regarded as political.
India's Extradition Act, 1962 also provides for an inquiry into extradition requests.
An inquiry magistrate may recommend surrender if there is enough initial evidence against the person; otherwise, the fugitive may be discharged.
