Can Bangladesh extradite Sheikh Hasina under the treaty with India | Explained
Bangladesh has formally requested that India extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in India since 2024, to face charges related to the 2024 uprising. While an extradition treaty exists between the two nations, it contains a 'political offence' exception that complicates the legal process.
Why it matters
The request tests the diplomatic relationship between India and Bangladesh and highlights the legal complexities of applying extradition treaties to political figures.
The story so far: Bangladesh on Sunday (August 16, 2026) urged India to create a “propitiate environment” for enabling Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to India by extraditing deposed PM Sheikh Hasina. Ms. Hasina who has been based in India since fleeing Dhaka on August 5, 2024, addressed a press conference on August 5, 2026, at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Delhi during which she said, “Fear has returned to Bangladesh.” The press conference drew a quick response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh that described Ms. Hasina as a “convicted genocider” and accused her of “gruesome killing of the innocent civilians including minor children during July-August 2024” uprising in Bangladesh.
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