Bangladeshi official says global calls to extradite ex-premier Hasina from India will grow

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - A senior Bangladeshi official said Tuesday that global calls for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition from India “will intensify” after a new media investigation linked her to the use of lethal force during last year’s uprising that ousted her government.

The statement follows the release of an audio recording, verified by BBC Bangla and leaked online in March, in which Hasina is allegedly heard directing security forces to “use lethal weapons” and “shoot wherever they find” protesters.

Hasina fled to India on Aug. 5, 2024, at the height of a student-led uprising against her administration.

Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus, called the findings a “damning indictment” and said Hasina “must face trial for the massacres.”

“The global calls to extradite Hasina to Bangladesh will intensify,” Alam said. “There is no escape for her and all the killers she assembled and used on the Bangladeshi people during her more than 15 years of misrule.”

According to a UN report, up to 1,400 people died in the July-August 2024 protests, including more than 100 children.

India has not officially responded to repeated extradition requests from Dhaka.

“For too long, India has refused to comply with Bangladesh’s lawful request for the extradition of Sheikh Hasina,” Alam said. “India can no longer protect an individual who stands credibly accused of crimes against humanity.”

A court in Dhaka is currently trying Hasina in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity committed during the unrest. Prosecutors said they plan to submit the leaked audio as “crucial evidence” in the case.

Earlier this month, the court sentenced Hasina to six months in prison for contempt of court.

Reacting to the media investigation, global rights group Amnesty International called on Bangladeshi authorities to ensure accountability and bring perpetrators of violence to justice.

New Delhi has yet to comment on Alam's remarks.