India Says No Timeframe Can Be Given for Hasina's Return to Bangladesh

India cannot provide any deadline for the extradition of ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as Dhaka's request is being examined through an established legal process, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi said on Saturday.

“Nobody can give you a timeframe” for Hasina's return, Trivedi said during a discussion organised by a private think tank in Dhaka, responding to repeated demands from Bangladesh for her extradition.

The Indian envoy said New Delhi has consistently maintained that the request is being considered through a “legal” and well-structured process. Hasina, 79, has been living in India since August 5, 2024, after fleeing Dhaka as a massive anti-government agitation, known as the July Uprising, brought down her government.

Trivedi also clarified that Hasina was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Army. She arrived on a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft, after the Bangladesh Army-led security detail escorted her from her official residence as protesters approached the premises.

At that time, Hasina was still Bangladesh's prime minister, Trivedi said, adding that India had little choice but to accept the situation as a neighbour. The envoy described the circumstances surrounding her departure as “tragic” and said such situations should never be repeated anywhere in the world.

Hasina's extradition has become a major point of friction in India-Bangladesh relations. After her government fell, an interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus took charge in August 2024. During its tenure, Hasina was tried in absentia by a special tribunal and sentenced to death, while her Awami League party was disbanded.

Bangladesh's current government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has continued to seek Hasina's extradition. The issue has also affected Rahman's proposed visit to New Delhi. Although India had invited him to the BRICS outreach summit, he declined to attend.

Despite strained ties, Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir recently said discussions on Rahman's proposed India visit were positive, though no date has been fixed.