Dinesh Trivedi on Sheikh Hasina: India Had a Duty to Give Shelter

India had a duty as a neighbouring country to give shelter to former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina when she fled Dhaka in August 2024, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said on Saturday. Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka, Trivedi said India had "hardly any choice" at the time because Hasina was still the prime minister of Bangladesh when the crisis unfolded. He also clarified that Hasina was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or the Indian Army. Her continued presence in India has remained a sensitive issue in relations between New Delhi and Dhaka, particularly as Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her extradition.

Trivedi said the circumstances surrounding Hasina's arrival in India were sudden and difficult, leaving New Delhi with limited options. "At that point in time, she (Hasina) was still the prime minister of Bangladesh. We had hardly any choice on that. It was our duty as a neighbour to accept the reality of life because situations are such where, at times, you are not prepared for it," he said. He questioned what India could have done if it had refused permission for her to enter, adding that the consequences could have been unpredictable. Trivedi also described the situation as the result of tragic circumstances and said such events should not be repeated anywhere in the world.

The Indian envoy also said New Delhi cannot provide a deadline for Hasina's return to Bangladesh because her extradition request is being examined through an established legal process. Bangladesh has repeatedly requested her return, but Trivedi said the Indian government has consistently maintained that the matter must be handled according to the applicable procedure. "Nobody can give you a time frame (over Hasina's return)," he said in response to questions about Dhaka's repeated demands. He added that India had repeatedly communicated that there was a legal and structured process under which the extradition request was being considered. The Ministry of External Affairs has also maintained that Bangladesh's request is being examined in accordance with established procedures.

Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh following the collapse of her government in August 2024 amid student-led protests. A Bangladesh Air Force aircraft carried her to India on August 5 after a Bangladesh Army-led security detachment escorted her from her official residence as protesters moved towards the premises. Trivedi's clarification that the Indian military did not transport Hasina comes against the backdrop of continuing discussion in Bangladesh about the circumstances of her departure. After her government fell, an interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus took office on August 8, 2024, and governed the country for about one and a half years.

Hasina's presence in India has continued to complicate bilateral ties, particularly over the extradition issue and her public statements while living in self-exile. In 2025, she was tried in absentia by a special tribunal and sentenced to death, while the interim administration also disbanded her Awami League party and formally sought her extradition through a diplomatic note. The demand was subsequently renewed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government led by Tarique Rahman, which came to power after the February 12 elections. The Awami League had been barred from contesting the election, and the BNP government endorsed the ban on Hasina's party.

The extradition dispute remains an important issue in India-Bangladesh relations even as ties have shown some improvement since the Tarique Rahman government took office. Hasina has said she intends to return to Bangladesh in December despite facing a death sentence, declaring that she is prepared to face imprisonment or other consequences and wants to return to be with her people. Her statements from India have further angered Dhaka, while the two governments continue to discuss Rahman's proposed visit to New Delhi. Trivedi's latest remarks indicate that India intends to continue handling Hasina's extradition request through the legal process rather than setting a timeline for her return.