'We had no choice': India on hosting ex-Bangladesh PM Hasina
What's the story
India has defended its decision to host former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after her government was overthrown in August 2024, a PTI report stated. The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, said at a private think tank discussion in Dhaka that, "It was our duty as a neighbor to accept the reality of life, because situations are such where at times you are not prepared for it," and also, "We had hardly any choice on that."
Legal process
No time frame for Hasina's return: Indian envoy
Trivedi clarified that Hasina was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Army but rather on a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft on August 5, 2024.
He said India's Ministry of External Affairs is examining Bangladesh's extradition request for Hasina through established legal processes.
He refused to give a time frame for her return, saying, "Nobody can give you a time frame."
Political developments
Interim government seeks Hasina's extradition
The extradition issue has strained India-Bangladesh relations and affected Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's proposed visit to New Delhi.
After Hasina's government was overthrown, an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took charge on August 8, 2024.
The interim administration disbanded Hasina's Awami League party and sought her extradition through a diplomatic note.
In 2025, she was tried in absentia by a special tribunal and sentenced to death.
Return plans
Bangladesh says no scope for Hasina's surrender
Hasina has expressed her determination to return to Bangladesh in December to put the country on the "right track," despite the threat of imprisonment or execution.
However, Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said there would be no scope for her surrender upon return, as she would be arrested immediately upon her return and the court verdict against her would be executed in accordance with the law.