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Bangladesh sets extradition of Hasina, Hadi’s killers as conditions for Tarique Rahman’s India visit
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Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office in February and has since visited Malaysia and China, departing from the tradition of Bangladeshi leaders heading to India for their first overseas trip. File | MoFA’s official spokesperson A.K.M. Shahidul Karim said that “a propitious environment” is required for Mr. Rahman’s visit and urged India to “extradite” Ms. Hasina and the suspected killers of radical student leader Osman Hadi.“We are of the view that a propitious environment needs to be created for the visit. To this end, we have requested the Indian authorities to expeditiously act on our request to extradite Sheikh Hasina and other fugitive criminals, and to hand over to Bangladesh the accused killers of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi in compliance with our bilateral extradition treaty,” said Mr. Karim in a statement, adding, “We are awaiting their response.”Ms. Hasina sought refuge in India on August 5, 2024, after a popular uprising toppled her government. Hadi, a radical student leader who was part of the protests and subsequently planned to contest the election, was shot in Dhaka by unknown assailants in December 2025. He passed away in Singapore while undergoing treatment on December 18, 2025, leading to widespread violence in Bangladesh some of which also targeted India’s diplomatic missions and minority Hindu community members. Dhaka has been maintaining that the suspected shooters involved in the incident escaped to India, but New Delhi has not said anything definitive in response.Diplomatic sources had earlier indicated that bilateral talks had been on the right track after India distanced itself from Ms. Hasina’s press conference in which she had targeted Mr. Rahman’s government. Subsequently, Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Dinesh Trivedi called on Mr. Rahman on August 10.In view of these exchanges, sources in Dhaka had indicated that “positive movements” had started and that the window for a big ticket visit from Dhaka was gradually opening. Mr. Karim confirmed the consultation and said, “Officials of Bangladesh and Inda have been in touch with each other for several weeks on the possibility of a bilateral visit by Honourable Prime Minister Mr. Tarique Rahman to India. However, this process was vitiated by the open press interaction in New Delhi on August 5 by Sheikh Hasina…”.The official spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, had reiterated last Friday that India had extended two invites to Prime Minister Rahman – one for the upcoming BRICS summit to be held here and the other an invite for a bilateral visit. The latter was extended on February 17, when Mr. Rahman was sworn in after winning the general election. Earlier, on August 7, Mr. Jaiswal had distanced India from Ms. Hasina’s press conference saying that India does not “endorse” the comments made against the “duly constituted government” of Bangladesh.In Sunday’s remarks, Mr. Karim reiterated Dhaka’s “Bangladesh first” foreign policy and said the government will continue to “promote friendly bilateral relations with other countries” including with neighbours, “on the basis of sovereign equality, national dignity, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and mutual benefit”. Published - August 16, 2026 03:55 pm IST
Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address the international media virtually to announce her homecoming and outline her vision for Bangladesh. File. | The media interaction will be addressed by Ms. Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and the former Education Minister of Bangladesh, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel.“In this exclusive engagement, Sheikh Hasina will address the international media virtually to announce her homecoming and outline her vision for Bangladesh. The session will also feature senior leaders of the Bangladesh Awami League and former Ministers, participating both in person and virtually, followed by an interactive Q&A,” said Waiel Awwad, president of the club.India has invited Prime Minister Rahman to attend the BRICS summit. Mr. Rahman, who was sworn in on February 17, 2026, after his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a landslide victory in the election, is yet to acknowledge the invitation.Ms. Hasina – who has been based here since fleeing Dhaka on August 5, 2024 – has recently given interviews to global media outlets, recollecting her experience of returning to Bangladesh on May 17, 1981, ending six years of exile that followed the assassination of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. In her latest interview, given to AFP on July 29, she reiterated her plans to go home and said, “I may be killed. I may be arrested. I may be sent to prison. I am fully aware of my fate. Still, I want to go back because my people are calling me.”Responding to reports of Ms. Hasina’s plans to return to Bangladesh this December, the BNP government’s Deputy Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain termed the announcements a “political gimmick”.“Sheikh Hasina is talking about returning to the country in December only to boost the morale of her party workers. It is nothing but a political stunt,” Mr. Hossain said on Saturday.The interim government led by Mohammed Yunus, which was in power between August 2024 and February 2026, had banned the Awami League’s political activities and its student wing Chhatra League. The BNP-dominated Bangladesh parliament formalised the ban through an amendment to an anti-terrorism law this April.On Sunday (August 2, 2026), Ms. Hasina received support from her long-time critic-author, Taslima Nasreen, who addressed a press conference in Kolkata. Ms. Nasreen supported Ms. Hasina’s right to return to the political space in Bangladesh. Known for her books Lajja and My Girlhood, the writer urged “progressive people” in Bangladesh to pressure the Tarique Rahman government to lift the ban on Awami League.“The Yunus government’s banning of the Awami League was absolutely not a right move. I want the ban on the Awami League lifted without delay. Its leaders and party workers should return to the country. Lots of Awami League leaders and workers have been killed. Progressive people of Bangladesh should pressurise Tarique Rahman to lift the ban on the Awami League,” said Ms. Nasreen, who also criticised Ms. Hasina for being soft on religious fundamentalists during her 15-year-long tenure. Published - August 02, 2026 10:28 pm IST
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