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The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh has again called on India to return former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka, hours after the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) sentenced her to death. Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement requesting New Delhi to extradite Hasina, along with former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who was also handed capital punishment by the ICT.

India has formally responded to the verdict. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “India has noted the verdict announced by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh concerning former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. As a close neighbour, India remains committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion, and stability. We will continue to engage constructively with all stakeholders to that end.”

Hasina has been staying in India since August 2024. This is not the first time Dhaka has requested her return, but the latest appeal also includes a demand for Kamal’s extradition. A special court in Dhaka sentenced both Hasina and Kamal to death, citing evidence linking them to multiple crimes against humanity.

Also read: Ex-PM Hasina sentenced to death for ‘crimes against humanity’

Former police officer Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, accused on similar charges but turned witness, received a five-year prison sentence.

Following the verdict, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry asserted that it expects India to “immediately” comply with the extradition request. The statement claimed that Delhi is obligated, both under bilateral agreements and friendly relations, to cooperate, adding that retaining a convicted individual in one’s country without extradition “is not friendly behaviour.” India has not indicated whether it plans to comply.

Hasina responded swiftly to the death sentence, sharply criticising both the tribunal and the interim government. She questioned the credibility of the ICT, labelled Yunus’s administration “undemocratic,” and reasserted her innocence, stating she was denied a fair trial. She insisted that neither she nor any political leader ordered security forces to fire on protesters.