Video: Why India Stands Firm on Sheikh Hasina Extradition Demand

Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department has officially labeled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a fugitive in a sedition case. The charges are linked to alleged online communications and digital directives from her self-imposed exile in India, which authorities claim sought to destabilize Bangladesh’s interim government. Filed under the country’s strict Digital Security Act, the case accuses Hasina of inciting unrest and conspiring with foreign actors to delegitimize the regime.

Since Hasina fled to India in August 2024, Delhi has quietly provided informal protection without granting formal asylum. As Dhaka now prepares to request her extradition, India’s reluctance to compromise underscores its strategic stance in the region. The move comes amid Bangladesh’s deepening political crisis, marked by violence, regime change, and the sweeping crackdown on the Awami League. Hasina’s legal counsel dismissed the sedition charges as politically driven, while international observers have flagged due process concerns ahead of the trial in absentia set for mid-November.