Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has become a significant diplomatic challenge for India, four weeks after she fled her country amid a student-led revolution.
Her departure marked the end of her 15-year tenure, characterised by heavy-handed governance, including rights abuses and crackdowns on the opposition.
India, now hosting the 76-year-old leader, finds itself in a delicate position.
Extraditing Hasina could jeopardise its standing with other South Asian neighbours, where New Delhi is engaged in an intense battle for influence with Beijing.
The situation is further complicated by India’s historical ties with Hasina’s government, which was seen as more protective of the Hindu minority in Bangladesh compared to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Thomas Kean, from the conflict resolution think-tank International Crisis Group, stated, “India is not going to extradite her to Bangladesh,” highlighting the potential diplomatic fallout.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has championed the Hindu faith during his tenure, has voiced support for Bangladesh’s interim government, led by 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Despite this, Modi has also pressed the new administration to safeguard the Hindu minority in Bangladesh, who have faced attacks following Hasina’s departure.
The BNP, which suffered under Hasina’s rule, has urged India to reassess its relationship with Bangladesh. Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a senior BNP leader, remarked, “The people of Bangladesh want a good relationship with India, but not at the cost of their interests.”
Despite the bilateral extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh, which could allow for Hasina’s return to face trial, a clause permits refusal if the offence is deemed “political.”
India’s former ambassador to Bangladesh, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, suggested that the relationship between the two countries is too crucial for Dhaka to press for Hasina’s return.
As Hasina’s presence in India continues, the situation remains a sensitive issue, with potential repercussions for India’s influence in South Asia amid its strategic rivalry with China.
