Bangladesh presses India on ousted leader Sheikh Hasina's extradition

AFP | Dhaka

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Bangladesh's government said yesterday it had asked India to extradite ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was sentenced earlier this week to be hanged over a deadly crackdown against a student-led uprising.

Hasina, 78, has been in hiding in India since her autocratic rule was overthrown in August 2024. As prime minister, she had had New Delhi's backing.

Touhid Hossain, who holds the foreign affairs portfolio in Bangladesh's interim administration, told reporters that on Friday "we sent a letter seeking the extradition of Sheikh Hasina."

He did not elaborate on the contents of the letter, which according to Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo was the third official extradition request since Hasina fled.

Following the court ruling on Monday, convicting Hasina of crimes against humanity and sentencing her to death, the foreign ministry in Dhaka said in a statement that Delhi had an "obligatory responsibility" under a bilateral treaty to facilitate the former leader's return.

India's foreign ministry said in response it had "noted" the verdict, without directly commenting on the extradition request.

It did not immediately respond to the latest letter from Dhaka.