Diplomatic Correspondent :
The demand for the extradition of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is gaining momentum both within Bangladesh and across India.
From government officials to ordinary citizens, voices are uniting to call for her return following the mass uprising in July 2024, which resulted in significant casualties.
According to the recent India Today Mood of the Nation poll, 55per cent of respondents from India’s northeastern states believe Hasina should be sent back to Bangladesh to improve bilateral relations.
Nationwide, 21per cent of respondents support her extradition, while 23per cent feel that sheltering her is justified due to her past political alliance with India.
Another 16percent believe she should be relocated to a third country.
The push for Hasina’s extradition intensified after the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission released a report directly implicating her in human rights violations during the July-August 2024 protests.
Published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the report revealed that over 1,400 people were killed and thousands injured by security forces between July 1 and August 15.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, speaking in Geneva, stated that Hasina was directly involved in various human rights violations.
Following the release of this independent report, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry formally requested Hasina’s extradition from India, submitting the necessary documentation under a bilateral extradition treaty-one that Hasina herself signed with India during her tenure. However, New Delhi has yet to respond.
Mohammad Rafiqul Alam, Director General of the Public Diplomacy Wing and Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, told reporters, “We remain hopeful until we receive an official response.”
Narendra Modi-led Indian government has faced criticism both domestically and internationally for harboring Hasina.
Since her fall from power, India has reduced visa services for Bangladeshi citizens, creating difficulties for patients seeking medical treatment in Indian hospitals.
Indian media have also reported a decline in businesses due to the absence of Bangladeshi visitors.
Despite these economic setbacks, the Modi government has continued to provide shelter to Hasina, who is now facing criminal charges for mass killings.
Her presence in Delhi has strained relations between the two South Asian neighbors, with no signs of improvement even after Modi’s recent meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.
The U.S. administration has reportedly shown no willingness to support India on this issue.
In Bangladesh, the opposition BNP has reiterated its demand for Hasina’s extradition.
Speaking at a press briefing in Gulshan on Thursday, BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accused Hasina of ordering the mass killings.
“The UN report clearly states that the massacre was carried out on the orders of one person-fascist Hasina,” he said.
Alamgir emphasized the need for her trial, asserting, “The world has now seen the extent of her crimes.”
Meanwhile, on Sunday, female students from various universities, along with family members of the victims of the July uprising, organized a rally in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh in Dhaka.
The demonstration, held under the banner “Women of July” and moderated by National Citizens’ Committee Women’s Cell Secretary Sadia Farzana, demanded Hasina’s extradition and the trial of her political party, the Awami League.
“Women were at the forefront of this movement,” Sadia said. “When male students were being arrested, female students stood in front of prison vans to protect them.
We are here today to demand justice for those who gave their lives for democracy.”
