DHAKA — Bangladesh has raised the stakes in its increasingly tense relationship with India, saying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to New Delhi cannot move forward until Dhaka sees progress on its demand for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The development puts Hasina — who has been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh during the 2024 uprising — at the centre of a potentially major diplomatic confrontation between the two South Asian neighbours.
Bangladesh Foreign Ministry spokesman A.K.M. Shahidul Karim said Sunday that a “propitious environment” must first be created for Rahman’s proposed visit and that Dhaka had urged India to expedite its efforts concerning Hasina and other fugitives.
India, however, has not agreed to the demand.
New Delhi has repeatedly maintained that Bangladesh’s extradition request for Hasina remains under examination and will be handled through established legal procedures. Senior Indian officials have also indicated that the ultimate decision would involve the judicial process rather than being settled purely through political or diplomatic negotiations.
HASINA BECOMES THE PRICE OF A DIPLOMATIC RESET
The dispute comes as India and Bangladesh appear to be exploring a possible reset in bilateral relations following years of tension.
Rahman, who became prime minister in February 2026, has been in contact with Indian officials over a possible visit to New Delhi. Indian and Bangladeshi officials have discussed a potential trip, with reports suggesting a visit could take place later this month, although no final date has been officially confirmed.
But Dhaka is now making clear that the Hasina issue cannot simply be pushed aside.
Karim said Bangladesh had asked India to “expedite” efforts to extradite Hasina and other fugitives. He also criticized Hasina’s continued public media appearances from India, arguing that they had further complicated the atmosphere surrounding the proposed Rahman visit.
Reuters reported earlier this month that Rahman had called for a “conducive environment” to improve relations with India during a meeting with India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi. The comments came as Dhaka continued pressing New Delhi over Hasina’s extradition.
WHY SHEIKH HASINA IS SO IMPORTANT
Hasina has remained in India since August 2024, when mass protests forced her from power after 15 years at the helm of Bangladesh.
Her political downfall dramatically changed relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.
Under Hasina, India and Bangladesh maintained close cooperation on issues including security, connectivity and trade. Her departure, followed by Bangladesh’s political transition, created a much more complicated relationship.
Bangladesh has since formally sought her extradition.
The issue became even more explosive after Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia in November 2025 after convicting her of crimes against humanity. Hasina has rejected the accusations and has remained outside Bangladesh.
Dhaka now wants India to return her to face the consequences of the judgment.
New Delhi, meanwhile, has stopped short of accepting that demand.
INDIA SAYS THIS IS A LEGAL MATTER
The central obstacle is that India does not appear prepared to treat the extradition request simply as a political bargain.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has repeatedly described Hasina’s extradition as a legal matter. In July, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there had been no change in India’s approach and that any extradition matter would be dealt with according to law.
Indian officials have also pointed to the 2013 India-Bangladesh extradition treaty.
According to reporting on the treaty, extradition can be subject to judicial scrutiny, while the agreement contains provisions concerning political offences and exceptions for certain serious crimes. That means Dhaka’s request is not automatically equivalent to an order for Hasina’s transfer.
That legal dimension could become crucial if the case moves further through India’s judicial system.
HASINA SAYS SHE WANTS TO RETURN
Adding another twist to the dispute, Hasina herself has said she intends to return to Bangladesh.
During a virtual appearance from New Delhi on Aug. 5, she said she wanted to return in December, describing it as Bangladesh’s month of victory.
Her statement has created a striking diplomatic paradox.
Bangladesh wants India to extradite her.
India says the request is still being examined.
And Hasina says she intends to return voluntarily.
But Bangladeshi officials have warned that a return would expose her to arrest and imprisonment, while she faces the death sentence handed down by the tribunal.
THE BIGGER STAKES FOR INDIA AND BANGLADESH
The dispute is about far more than one former prime minister.
India and Bangladesh share a long border and deep economic, security and geographic ties. Their relationship affects trade, transportation, energy, water-sharing and regional security.
Reports on the potential Rahman visit indicate that the two sides could discuss broader bilateral issues including trade, connectivity, energy, border management and the long-running Ganges water-sharing question.
That makes the proposed visit potentially important for both governments.
But Hasina has emerged as the political obstacle that neither side can easily ignore.
For Dhaka, extraditing Hasina is tied to accountability and domestic political legitimacy.
For New Delhi, handing over a former neighbouring prime minister — particularly one facing a death sentence — carries legal and diplomatic implications.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
For now, there is no confirmed extradition of Sheikh Hasina and no confirmed breakthrough between New Delhi and Dhaka.
Instead, Bangladesh is increasing pressure while India continues reviewing the request through its legal framework.
The proposed Rahman visit could therefore become an important test.
If Dhaka refuses to move forward without progress on Hasina, India faces pressure to demonstrate that its relationship with Bangladesh can advance despite the extradition dispute.
If New Delhi refuses to compromise on the legal process, Rahman’s planned trip could remain stalled.
And if Hasina follows through on her stated intention to return to Bangladesh in December, the diplomatic equation could change dramatically once again.
For now, one question hangs over New Delhi and Dhaka: will Sheikh Hasina’s fate become the key that unlocks a new India-Bangladesh relationship — or the issue that pushes the two neighbours even further apart?
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