Bangladesh interim leader seeks extradition of ousted PM from India

Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has said his administration will seek the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India. Hasina was ousted in August following weeks of violent protests, and has since been residing in the neighboring country.   

Addressing the nation on Sunday, which marked his first 100 days in office, Yunus stated that his government will seek “the return of the fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina from India,” adding that he had discussed the matter with Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan.  

Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist, was tasked with leading the transitional government in Bangladesh following Hasina’s ouster in August. 

In an interview with Al Jazeera aired later on Sunday, Yunus claimed that his interim government should be able to “resolve it amicably” with India. “We draw attention to the Indian authorities that you are hosting her; that’s fine, but please make sure she doesn’t create problems for us,” he asserted.  

Hasina resigned from her post on August 5, following massive protests initially led by students over a controversial job quota allegedly benefitting members of the Hasina-led Awami League party. Despite the quota being canceled by the Supreme Court after initial protests in July, the movement rapidly transformed into a mass uprising against what protesters called Hasina’s “autocratic” regime, leading to clashes with security forces and deaths of over 1,000 people. Hasina’s resignation came under pressure from the country’s military, which then announced the formation of the interim government.  

Since her departure to India, numerous criminal cases have been opened against the former premier and members of her government on charges of murder, torture, abduction, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Yunus, who is a staunch critic of Hasina, was appointed as “chief adviser” of the caretaker government on August 9. His administration was tasked with restoring law and order and overseeing the “democratic transition” through new elections to form a legitimate government.  

Speaking on Sunday, Yunus promised to hold the much-anticipated election once the necessary reforms are complete. He vowed that an election commission would be formed “within a few days,” but did not provide a specific timeline for a vote, citing the need for significant electoral and constitutional reforms. “I request your patience until then. We aim to build an electoral system that will endure for decades. For this, we need some time,” he said. 

Bangladesh-India ties under Hasina’s rule were marked by close cooperation, particularly in trade and security matters. Even since the change of government in Dhaka, relations between the two South Asian neighbors have remained extremely tense. New Delhi has raised concerns over violence against the minority Hindu community in the Muslim-majority country. In an interview with The Hindu newspaper released on Monday, Yunus dismissed these concerns, as well as Indian media reports on incidents of radicalism and attacks on Hindus and other religious minorities in the country, as “propaganda.” He insisted that he conveyed the same message in his call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August.  

In a post last month on X, US President-elect Donald Trump condemned “the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos.” While downplaying the condemnation, Yunus told The Hindu that Bangladesh has a “good relationship” with Washington “built over years” and that he hopes “it will be strengthened.”