Sheikh Hasina must return to Bangladesh to face her sentence, says Mushfiqul Fazal Ansari

Deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina must return to Bangladesh to face her sentence and to take part in any further legal process, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansari has said. She must also answer in person for the killings and repression committed under her government, he said.

For those who lost relatives in the July-August 2024 mass uprising, Hasina's stay in India is not merely a question of political asylum. In some families, injured relatives are still being cared for; for some parents, a child's empty room reminds them every day of what they have lost.

In February 2025, the UN human rights office said the number killed during the uprising could be as high as 1,400. Several thousand more people were injured. Its inquiry found a picture of systematic repression by the then government, the security forces and the violent sections of the Awami League. Using violence to suppress the movement was government policy. The office said further investigation was needed to determine whether those acts amounted to crimes against humanity.

The UN inquiry established facts about the events. Individual criminal responsibility was determined in the later trial process. In November 2025, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal convicted Sheikh Hasina of crimes against humanity. She was convicted of inciting and aiding atrocities and of ordering the use of lethal force against protesters. The tribunal also held her responsible under the principle of senior leadership responsibility for the acts of subordinates and sentenced her to death in her absence.

Hasina has called the trial politically motivated. In Ansari's view, that claim cannot deprive the victims of their right to justice. Bangladesh has requested her extradition. She is still in India.

The government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is trying to turn around a devastated economy, and work is also under way to rebuild a political culture damaged by long authoritarian rule, the piece notes. Meanwhile, Hasina's supporters abroad are campaigning on social media about the possibility of her political return. That is increasing uncertainty about the country's democratic transition, especially among families still waiting for justice.

Protecting this transition is the responsibility of the elected government and of all political organisations committed to the democratic process. Any attempt to destabilise it must be answered by bringing forward evidence and taking lawful steps. The interests of the victims must come first in the government's actions.

But because Hasina is in India, Bangladesh alone cannot resolve these concerns. In a recent interview with Prothom Alo, Georgetown University political scientist C. Christine Fair said Hasina was valuable to India while she was in power. She believes New Delhi will not hand Hasina over to Bangladesh.

Alongside giving her shelter, Delhi must also answer another question — why is she being allowed to interfere in Bangladesh's politics from Indian soil? After Hasina spoke at a public event in New Delhi in January 2026, Bangladesh's foreign ministry alleged that she had incited violence to disrupt the upcoming election. Fair asked why Delhi shows such reluctance in Hasina's case when in the past it was able to persuade figures such as the Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi to behave with restraint. In Fair's view, the explanation must be sought in India's domestic politics.

In Ansari's view, whatever political considerations lie behind New Delhi's position, Bangladesh's extradition request must be judged on a legal basis. Being a political figure does not by itself block extradition. Under Article 6 of the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty, an extradition request cannot be rejected by treating murder, incitement to murder and several related offences as political offences. Other grounds for rejecting a request and the legal safeguards in the treaty will, however, remain applicable.

In continuing diplomatic talks, the Bangladesh government must make clear that Dhaka wants a constructive relationship with India on the basis of sovereign equality, and that Dhaka hopes New Delhi will consider the extradition request seriously. At the same time, Delhi must ensure that Indian territory is not used to incite violence in Bangladesh or to threaten its people. Such specific incidents need to be documented, and the distinction between peaceful political expression and calls for violence must also be kept clear.

Ansari said that if India is sincere about rebuilding its relationship with Bangladesh, it must respect the democratic verdict of this country's people and acknowledge their suffering. Shielding a former autocrat from accountability will only deepen mistrust between the two countries. Her return should open the way for the victims to get justice and advance the effort to re-establish the rule of law in Bangladesh.