Politics1 min read

Sheikh Hasina must return to Bangladesh to face her sentence

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced the ousted leader to death in absentia for crimes against humanity linked to the July-August 2024 uprising that claimed up to 1,400 lives. While she has dismissed the proceedings as politically motivated, authorities under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman argue her foreign base threatens the country's upcoming elections. Furthermore, Bangladeshi officials cite Article 6 of their bilateral treaty, which prevents murder charges from being dismissed as mere political offenses. New Delhi is being urged to process the handover on legal merits to avoid worsening bilateral tensions.

Key points

  • Article 6 of the bilateral extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh specifically e…: Article 6 of the bilateral extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh specifically excludes murder and incitement to murder from political offense protections.
  • Officials under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman contend that Hasina's presence in India dir…: Officials under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman contend that Hasina's presence in India directly undermines Bangladesh's economic recovery and political transition.
  • Dhaka maintains that productive diplomatic ties require New Delhi to prevent its soil fro…: Dhaka maintains that productive diplomatic ties require New Delhi to prevent its soil from being utilized to instigate cross-border unrest.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Delhi should ensure that its territory is not used to incite violence in Bangladesh or threaten its people.

For families who lost relatives in Bangladesh’s July-August 2024 uprising, Sheikh Hasina’s presence in India is far more than just a question of political refuge. Some are caring for injured relatives, while others have been left devastated by their losses. Parents have rooms that are now empty. When the ousted prime minister speaks to Bangladeshis from India, the question arises: Why should those who paid the price for democracy have to watch the very person they hold responsible for their suffering continue to intervene in Bangladesh’s politics from abroad?

In February 2025, the UN Human Rights Office estimated that as many as 1,400 people may have been killed during the 2024 uprising, with thousands more injured. It identified systematic repression by the former government, the security forces and violent elements of the Awami League, and concluded that there was an official policy of violent suppression that warranted further investigation into potential crimes against humanity. These were international findings of fact, not a…

Politics