Bangladesh calls Hasina ‘convicted criminal’, seeks extradition

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman on Sunday, November 8, described ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina as a “convicted criminal” and said Dhaka has requested India to extradite her, according to local media reports.

Responding to questions from journalists after inaugurating a training workshop in Dhaka, Asaduzzaman said the government was taking all necessary legal steps to bring Hasina back from India and would follow due process.

“To me, she is a criminal. A criminal convicted by our tribunal. To us, this is her identity,” he said, according to a report on bdnews24 website.

Asked about bringing Hasina back to Bangladesh, the law minister said the government would act in accordance with the law and would not be guided by emotion.

“Although the Law Ministry is not directly involved in this matter, the Ministry of Home Affairs is concerned, as it relates to the extradition treaty with India. The matter will be dealt with in accordance with the law, leaving no room for emotions. We have requested her repatriation under the treaty and through due process,” Asaduzzaman was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency.

Bdnews24 also quoted Asaduzzaman as saying: “That is a matter for the Indian government. We have made requests to them under the extradition treaty.”

“If they hand her over to us, we will hand her over in the due process, as required under the law,” he added.

India has previously acknowledged receiving Bangladesh’s extradition requests for Hasina but has not announced any decision on handing her over. The Ministry of External Affairs has said the requests are being examined as part of its established processes.

Hasina fled Bangladesh for India on August 5, 2024, following a mass uprising that ended her 15-year rule. An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus subsequently took charge.

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal in November 2025 convicted Hasina of crimes against humanity committed during the July-August 2024 uprising. The tribunal, which tried her in absentia, sentenced her to death on one charge and life imprisonment on another.

In February this year, Bangladesh held parliamentary elections and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman formed the government.

During an audio-only virtual press conference organised in New Delhi on August 5, Hasina said she intended to return to Bangladesh in December despite the possibility of being imprisoned or killed.

The interaction drew a sharp reaction from Dhaka, whose Foreign Ministry said it was “outraged” that Hasina had been allowed to engage with the media.

India distanced itself from the event, saying it was organised by a private media entity and that the government had no involvement whatsoever in it.

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