'No room for emotions': Bangladesh seeks Hasina's return, says law will take its course

Bangladesh has said it will pursue the return of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India through legal channels, with Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman rejecting any role for emotion in the process. Speaking on Sunday, he said a request had been sent under the bilateral extradition treaty.

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Bangladesh cites extradition treaty in Sheikh Hasina case

Asked by reporters about Dhaka's efforts to secure Hasina's return, Asaduzzaman said the government was following the necessary procedures. He explained that the Ministry of Home Affairs, rather than his ministry, was responsible for dealing with the extradition request.

"The matter will be dealt with in accordance with the law, leaving no room for emotions," the minister said, according to the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.

Reporters also asked whether Bangladesh planned to take the matter to an Indian court. Asaduzzaman said the question of legal action in India was for the Indian authorities to address. He said Dhaka had already approached New Delhi under the treaty and would follow Bangladesh's legal procedures if Hasina were handed over.

When asked about India's description of Hasina as a state guest rather than a prisoner, the minister referred to her conviction by a Bangladeshi tribunal.

"To me, she is a criminal. A criminal convicted by our tribunal," he said. He maintained that the verdict, delivered following a trial in Bangladesh, determined the government's position.

India yet to decide on Sheikh Hasina's extradition request

India has acknowledged receiving requests for Hasina's extradition but has not announced a decision on transferring her to Bangladesh.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in August that the requests were being examined under established procedures. The two governments have not announced a date for any handover.

Hasina went to India on August 5, 2024, after weeks of protests that ended her 15-year rule. An interim administration headed by Muhammad Yunus took charge following her departure.

Parliamentary elections in February 2026 later brought the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Tarique Rahman, to power.

Sheikh Hasina convicted over 2024 Bangladesh protests

In November 2025, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal convicted Hasina of crimes against humanity in connection with the government's response to the July-August 2024 protests.

She was tried in her absence and received a death sentence on one charge and life imprisonment on another. Hasina has denied the allegations and called the verdict politically motivated.

The proceedings followed the violent crackdown on demonstrations that began as student protests and eventually developed into a nationwide movement against her government.

Sheikh Hasina announces plans to return in December

The former prime minister has also spoken publicly about returning to Bangladesh. She said she wanted to go back in December, even though she could face arrest or imprisonment.

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