Sheikh Hasina: India walks a tightrope harbouring deposed Bangladeshi prime minister

India is walking a tightrope, harbouring deposed Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Ms Hasina lives with her family in a secure government bungalow in the capital New Delhi, as a state guest.

With the threat on her life, the safe house is heavily guarded and has intelligence officers keeping journalists and the public away from the area.

Bangladesh is in a very awkward and difficult position with the new interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus.

He previously spoke to Sky News – vowing to put Ms Hasina on trial.

Ms Hasina fled the country on 5 August 2024 after a student uprising that ended her 15-year rule.

She is wanted back in Bangladesh to face corruption and criminal charges over the deaths of hundreds of protesters during the uprising.

In December, the Bangladesh foreign ministry sent a note verbale, an unsigned diplomatic correspondence, seeking the repatriation of Ms Hasina. The same was acknowledged in New Delhi.

Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs in India, said: “We confirm that we have received a note verbale from the Bangladesh High Commission today in connection with an extradition request.

“At this time, we have no comment to offer on this matter.”

The India-Bangladesh extradition treaty of 2013 includes provisions under which an extradition request can be turned down under Article 6 of the treaty.

The interim government of Mr Yunus does not represent the entire political spectrum of the country and once a democratically-elected government is in place, a legitimate demand could be considered by New Delhi.

Cosy relationship

India has had a very cosy relationship with Ms Hasina over her 20-year rule.

Many in Bangladesh believe New Delhi played a pivotal role in bringing her to power in 2007, and allegedly helped her authoritarian rule over three terms.

India has also been accused of turning a blind eye on issues of large-scale corruption, cronyism and human rights violations.

New Delhi played into Hasina’s narrative

The main opposition – Khalida Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – was not as friendly to India.

Then there is the issue of keeping the Islamist party, Jammat-e-Islami, at bay, which Ms Hasina had banned.

New Delhi played into Ms Hasina’s narrative, “that if not her” then fundamentalists would take over Bangladesh in a sensitive and restive northeastern region of India.

The fear blind-sided mandarins and the right-wing political leadership.

New Delhi kept all its eggs in Hasina’s basket

India failed to foster good relations with opposition political parties and kept all its eggs in Ms Hasina’s basket.

An official from the Bangladesh high commission, who didn’t want to be named, told Sky News: “There were a number of times when former PM Khalida Zia and her BNP tried reaching out to New Delhi, especially during her long incarceration, only to be rejected and unaccommodated by the political establishment.

“It was done to keep Hasina on side.”

Since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist government took over in 2014, this relationship has grown stronger.

Close ties of the two nations

Both countries share a 2,500-mile-long border, but more than that, the nations are steeped in cultural, social and economic bonds.

There are more than 13 million Hindus living in Bangladesh, making up 8% of the population.

Read more from Sky News:
China’s patience with Donald Trump is running out
US expected to scale back Mexico and Canada tariffs
Flash floods in Gran Canaria sweep cars into sea

During the unrest and its aftermath, there was violence against the community and a number of Hindu temples were targeted by protesters.

A number of times, Mr Modi’s government raised concerns about the safety and security of the minority Hindu community.

This is the second time that Ms Hasina has taken refuge in India.

After the massacre of 18 of her family members, including her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, she, her husband and children lived in New Delhi for six years until 1981.

There is some uncertainty about her future in India, but New Delhi will not be pressured into handing over the former premier anytime soon.

This is shown in the shelter and unwavering support by India of the Dalai Lama since 1959, under tremendous Chinese pressure.

New Delhi and Dhaka will get an impetus to reset their relationship when Mr Modi and Mr Yunus meet on the sidelines of a regional summit in Thailand in early April.