'Sheikh Hasina is convicted criminal': B'desh law min sends extradition request to India

Bangladesh has formally sought the extradition of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India, with law minister Md Asaduzzaman on Sunday describing her as a "convicted criminal" and saying Dhaka would pursue her return through legal channels.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a training workshop in Dhaka, Asaduzzaman said the government was taking all necessary legal steps to bring Hasina back and would follow due process. "To me, she is a criminal. A criminal convicted by our tribunal. To us, this is her identity," he said, according to bdnews24.

The minister said the extradition matter falls under the jurisdiction of the home affairs ministry and would be handled in accordance with the treaty between India and Bangladesh.

"Although the law ministry is not directly involved in this matter, the ministry of home affairs is concerned, as it relates to the extradition treaty with India. The matter will be dealt with in accordance with the law, leaving no room for emotions. We have requested her repatriation under the treaty and through due process," he was quoted as saying by state-run BSS.

"That is a matter for the Indian government. We have made requests to them under the extradition treaty," he added, according to bdnews24. "If they hand her over to us, we will hand her over in the due process, as required under the law."

India has previously confirmed receiving Bangladesh's extradition requests for Hasina but is yet to announce a decision. The ministry of external affairs has said the requests are being examined through established processes.

Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, following a mass uprising that ended her 15-year rule. An interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus subsequently took charge.

In November 2025, Bangladesh's international crimes tribunal convicted Hasina of crimes against humanity committed during the July-August 2024 uprising. Tried in absentia, she was sentenced to death on one charge and life imprisonment on another.

Bangladesh held parliamentary elections in February this year, following which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, formed the government.

On August 5, Hasina said during an audio-only virtual press conference organised in New Delhi that she intended to return to Bangladesh in December, despite the possibility of being imprisoned or killed. The interaction prompted a strong response from Dhaka, with its foreign ministry saying it was "outraged" that Hasina had been allowed to engage with the media. India distanced itself from the event, stating that it had been organised by a private media entity and that the government had no involvement in it.