Hasina’s Exile Activities Stall Diplomatic Reset Between Bangladesh and India

Efforts to reset diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and India, including quiet planning for Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first official visit to New Delhi since taking office earlier this year, have hit an impasse following public political appearances by former leader Sheikh Hasina from Indian soil.

Hasina, who has resided in exile in India since her government was overthrown during a popular uprising in August 2024, addressed an August 5 press conference in the center of New Delhi via video link. Joined by her son and political colleagues, she publicly criticized the mass movement that ended her administration. The event drew immediate condemnation from Bangladeshi officials, who expressed outrage and pointed out that Dhaka had explicitly warned Indian authorities against allowing political activities that could undermine bilateral relations.

Following the news conference, Bangladesh stated that a favorable environment must be established before Rahman’s proposed trip to India can take place. Dhaka also reiterated its calls for New Delhi to act on legal extradition requests concerning Hasina and several other Bangladeshi fugitives.

However, former officials and political analysts suggest the immediate diplomatic rift is less about the speed of legal extradition and more about the freedom granted to Hasina while she remains in India. Faisal Mahmud, a former press minister at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, explained that extradition is a complex legal process, stating that the current impasse “is centered on India allowing her to conduct political activities from its soil.”

Appeals to curb Hasina’s political commentary predated the current government under Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party. During an April 2025 meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who then headed Bangladesh’s interim administration, directly requested that New Delhi stop Hasina from making inflammatory statements from Indian territory. Humaiun Kobir, deputy head of Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry, emphasized that Dhaka seeks a working relationship built on trust and mutual respect, but stated that allowing exiled figures to incite violence from abroad is unacceptable.

Dhaka’s extradition demands also encompass other Bangladeshi suspects, including individuals arrested by Indian authorities after crossing the border following the 2025 murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent critic of Hasina and India. Despite the tension, Bangladeshi officials indicate that high-level engagement between Rahman and Modi will eventually occur. Over the weekend, India’s presidential palace briefly published a notice suggesting host preparations for Rahman before withdrawing it hours later. Kobir noted that a summit remains necessary, but emphasized that it will take place only when it aligns with Bangladesh’s national interest.

Background

Sheikh Hasina governed Bangladesh until August 2024, when a student-led mass uprising forced her to resign and flee to neighboring India. Following her departure, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal tried Hasina in absentia over a violent crackdown on protesters during the 2024 unrest. In November 2025, the tribunal convicted her of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to death, charges Hasina has rejected as politically motivated.

Bangladesh first submitted a formal extradition request for Hasina in December 2024 under a 2013 bilateral treaty with India, renewing the request after her conviction. In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated in August 2026 that the extradition request remains under examination through established legal and treaty procedures. Former diplomatic officials note that bilateral treaties contain provisions under which extradition requests can be evaluated or refused through judicial processes.