India receives extradition request for Hasina from Bangladesh

India has received a note verbale from Bangladesh requesting the extradition of Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister of the neighboring country, where a caretaker government is currently in power.

“We confirm that we have received a note verbale from the Bangladesh High Commission today regarding an extradition request. At this time, we have no comment to offer on the matter,” an official told NDTV. A note verbale is an unsigned diplomatic communication in the third person.

Earlier in the day, Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh's de facto Foreign Minister, said that Dhaka is pursuing Hasina’s return to face trial. “We have sent a note verbale to the Indian government requesting her extradition for judicial proceedings,” Hossain told reporters in Dhaka.

Sheikh Hasina, 77, left Bangladesh on August 5 following widespread protests that ended her 16-year rule. Since then, the Bangladesh-based International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants against Hasina, former ministers, advisors, and other officials for alleged "crimes against humanity and genocide."

Bangladesh’s Home Adviser, Jahangir Alam, confirmed that his office has formally communicated with India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to facilitate Hasina’s extradition.

“We have sent a letter to the foreign ministry regarding her extradition. The process is currently underway,” he said, adding that the existing extradition treaty between Dhaka and New Delhi allows for her return under legal provisions.

India’s MEA has not yet commented on the request.

Last month, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh’s interim government reiterated the administration's commitment to ensuring justice. Speaking on the 100th day of the caretaker government, Yunus announced plans to pursue Hasina’s extradition.

“We must ensure justice for every killing... We will also request India to send back the fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina,” Yunus said during a national address.