Giving Hasina refuge was our responsibility, says Indian envoy in Dhaka
DHAKA: India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, has said that as a neighbour, India had a responsibility to shelter former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was the sitting premier at the time and left New Delhi with “hardly any choice.”Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka on Saturday, Trivedi said that…
DHAKA: India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, has said that as a neighbour, India had a responsibility to shelter former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was the sitting premier at the time and left New Delhi with “hardly any choice.”
Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka on Saturday, Trivedi said that refusing her landing permission could have led to unpredictable consequences. He added that Hasina was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or the army. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman delivered the opening remarks at the event but was not present when Trivedi made the comments.
Hasina has lived in self-imposed exile in India since fleeing Dhaka in August 2024 after student-led protests toppled her government. Extradition demands were first made by the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus and have been repeated by the BNP government under Rahman. She faces a death sentence in Bangladesh, and Dhaka is irritated by her recent interviews, including one announcing plans to return in December.
Trivedi said no deadline can be set for her return, as the extradition request is under a legal process.
