Bangladesh says PM Tarique Rahman will not visit India until Sheikh Hasina is extradited

Bangladesh said on Sunday that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would not visit India until New Delhi extradited former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, AFP reported.

The neighbouring countries have had strained relations since massive student-led protests erupted in Bangladesh in July 2024 against a controversial quota scheme for government jobs and later snowballed into a broader agitation against Hasina’s government. Her government was eventually brought down, forcing her to flee to India.

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal in November sentenced Hasina to death for crimes against humanity in connection with the deadly crackdown on protesters in 2024. In February, a court sentenced her to 10 years’ imprisonment in two corruption cases relating to alleged irregularities in the allocation of land in a government housing project in Dhaka.

Dhaka has repeatedly demanded that Hasina be extradited. It has also expressed concerns about the ousted leader being allowed by the Indian authorities to address her supporters from Delhi.

New Delhi has previously said that it was for Hasina to decide whether she wants to return to Bangladesh.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry official AKM Shahidul Karim played down media speculation about a possible trip by Rahman to India next week.

“We are of the view that a propitious environment needs to be created for the visit,” AFP quoted him as saying....

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