Bangladesh is repeatedly raising the issue of Sheikh Hasina’s extradition, will India agree?

New Delhi: India is in no mood to take any action on the request for extradition of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Sources related to the matter say that Dhaka has not completed the necessary formalities to take such an issue forward. The extradition request was made through a note verbale to the Ministry of External Affairs by the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on December 23. The move comes amid rising tensions between the two countries following the formation of Bangladesh’s interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Note verbal will not be used in extradition

Sources told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity that the ‘note verbale’ is one of the lowest levels of diplomatic exchanges. It is not generally used for sensitive matters such as extradition. Hasina left Dhaka following nationwide protests by students and has since fled Dhaka. Yunus and other leaders of the caretaker administration have described Hasina’s presence in India and comments made by her in exile as a source of tension.

India calls extradition demand a sham

The demand for extradition is being seen in some circles in New Delhi as a public posturing by the interim government of Bangladesh to appease domestic sections, especially student groups. The influence of student groups has increased and they are demanding to bring the former Prime Minister back to the country. They believe that the Bangladesh government is doing all this under their pressure.

A source said: ‘Extradition is not a simple process and there are certain obligations on both the parties making and receiving such a request. The person whose extradition is requested also has options. Those options have not been exercised yet.

These provisions are also in the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty

Additionally, the India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty of 2013 contains provisions under which extradition requests can be refused. Article 6 of the treaty, or the political offenses exception, states that extradition may be refused if the offense requested is an offense of political character. Article 8, which lists the grounds for refusing extradition, states that a person may not be extradited if no charges have been brought in the interests of justice.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had confirmed on 23 December that the Indian side had received a ‘note verbale’ from the Bangladeshi side regarding the extradition request, but declined to comment further. Sources also said that during Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri’s visit to Dhaka last month, the Indian side had highlighted the way forward in bilateral relations.