Bangladesh Pushes Interpol to Extradite Sheikh Hasina After ICT Death Verdict

Bangladesh's interim administration, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, is preparing to enlist Interpol's support to extradite ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal from India, just days after a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced both to death in absentia for crimes against humanity. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) convicted Hasina, 78, and Kamal on November 17, 2025, for their roles in ordering and failing to prevent a violent crackdown on student-led protests in July-August 2024, which the United Nations estimates resulted in up to 1,400 deaths, mostly by security forces gunfire.

The ruling, delivered under heavy security amid celebrations by protesters' families, marks a pivotal moment in the push for accountability following Hasina's ouster in a mass uprising that ended her 15-year rule. Yunus hailed the verdict as "historic," emphasizing justice for victims, while the ICT prosecutor, Gazi MH Tamim, announced plans to submit arrest warrants to Interpol for red notices, a global alert to facilitate arrests.

The controversy stems from the 2024 protests, initially sparked by quotas favoring descendants of independence war veterans—seen as benefiting Hasina's Awami League supporters—which escalated into broader demands for her resignation amid allegations of corruption, authoritarianism, and human rights abuses. Security forces' response, including mass arrests and lethal force, drew international condemnation, with Amnesty International criticizing the tribunal's speed and in-absentia nature as raising fair trial concerns, though it acknowledged the need for victim justice.

Hasina, who fled to India on August 5, 2024, by helicopter, has resided there in self-imposed exile, reportedly in New Delhi, alongside Kamal. In a statement post-verdict, she denounced the trial as "politically motivated" by Yunus's "unelected" government, claiming it aimed to dismantle her party and that she acted in "good faith" to minimize casualties. Her supporters, including son Sajeeb Wazed, echoed this, labeling it a "kangaroo court" influenced by Islamist extremists.

Dhaka's extradition push invokes the 2013 India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty, amended in 2016, which mandates returning fugitives for extraditable offenses like murder and torture—excluding purely political crimes—based on dual criminality principles. Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry termed it a "mandatory duty," warning non-compliance is an "unfriendly act," and confirmed a fresh diplomatic note is forthcoming after an unanswered December 2024 request.

However, the treaty allows refusal if offenses are deemed political or not in justice's interest, a clause experts say could apply given the case's ties to Hasina's regime downfall. Interpol red notices, previously sought for Hasina and others last year without issuance, would pressure global cooperation but aren't binding arrests. Law Adviser Asif Nazrul reiterated formal appeals to New Delhi, underscoring bilateral obligations amid strained ties.

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India's response has been measured, with the Ministry of External Affairs stating on November 17 it "noted" the verdict and remains committed to Bangladesh's peace, democracy, and stability, pledging constructive engagement without addressing extradition directly. New Delhi, a longtime Hasina ally during her tenure that bolstered economic ties and countered Chinese influence, faces a diplomatic tightrope: extradition risks alienating Awami League loyalists and igniting unrest ahead of Bangladesh's February 2026 elections, from which the party is barred, while refusal could sour relations with Yunus's government.

Analysts note the political exemption clause offers India leverage, potentially viewing the charges as regime-linked persecution. As Dhaka advances its Interpol application, the saga highlights fragile South Asian geopolitics, with Hasina unable to appeal until surrendering, per ICT rules, and both sides bracing for prolonged legal and diplomatic maneuvering.

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