India said Bangladesh’s request for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is being examined under established procedures. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made it clear that there has been no change in New Delhi’s position on the matter.
The response came as relations between India and Bangladesh continue to involve several sensitive legal and diplomatic issues, including Dhaka’s request for Hasina’s extradition and its demand for the return of two accused in the murder of Bangladeshi activist Sharif Osman Hadi.
Ex-PM’s case is being processed
At a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the extradition request is being handled through the procedures followed by India. He also said the investigation into the Hadi murder case is underway.
“Our High Commissioner met with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh yesterday (August 10), and they discussed matters of mutual interest. Hadi’s case is a legal matter in which investigations are going on. As far as the extradition matter is concerned, our position has been very clear that we are looking into the case as per established processes that we have on our side,” he said.
His comments came a day after Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi met Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka. The meeting covered several issues involving the two countries, including Hasina’s extradition and the return of those accused in Hadi’s killing, according to Bangladeshi media reports.
After the meeting, a statement issued by the Rahman government’s PM’s Press Wing said, “Bangladesh hopes that India will expedite the process of extraditing Sheikh Hasina.”
Dhaka has also asked India to hand over the people accused in Hadi’s murder, according to Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo.
Hadi murder case and suspects in India
The activist was shot in the head on December 12 last year by attackers travelling on a motorcycle. The shooting took place while Hadi was riding a rickshaw on Paltan Road in Dhaka.
He was later flown to Singapore for medical treatment but succumbed to his injuries on December 18.
The case also has an India connection after two Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in Kolkata. The Bangladesh High Commission in the city had earlier said that the Kolkata Police informed the Deputy High Commission about the arrests of Faisal Karim Masud, 37, and Alamgir Hossain, 34.
In a statement, the Bangladesh mission said, “The Kolkata Police informed this Deputy High Commission in a message that two Bangladeshi citizens named Faisal Karim Masud (37) and Alamgir Hossain (34) have been arrested. Indian media has identified these two individuals as suspects in the Shahid Sharif Osman Bin Hadi murder case. Immediately after this news was published, the Deputy High Commission established the necessary contact with the Indian authorities in Kolkata and requested the Government of India to provide consular access.”
The arrests have since become part of talks between the two governments as Bangladesh seeks the return of those accused in the case.
India-Bangladesh ties also discussed
The meeting between Trivedi and Rahman also covered broader bilateral ties. The Indian High Commissioner described his first interaction with the Bangladeshi prime minister as “fruitful”, according to local media reports.
Trivedi said the two countries do not only share a physical border but also “share dreams”.
The Indian High Commission later said on X that Trivedi conveyed India’s intention to work with the Bangladeshi government and people in a “positive, constructive and forward-looking manner”.
“They exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and discussed avenues for further strengthening bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh with a people-centric approach,” the post said.
