Indian Ambassador: Sheltering Sheikh Hasina Was Our Responsibility, She Was the Prime Minister at the Time

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi has said that, as a neighboring country, it was India’s responsibility to provide shelter to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after she fled her country in August 2024. Trivedi said India “hardly had any choice” because “at that time, she was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.” He also said that the Awami League leader was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Army. Trivedi made the remarks while speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka on Saturday. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tariq Rahman delivered the opening remarks at the fifth edition of the event, but he was not present when Trivedi made the comments.

Later, Trivedi said, “At that time, she was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. We hardly had any choice. As a neighbor, it was our responsibility to accept the realities of life because circumstances arise where, sometimes; you are not prepared for them. What choice did we have? If you said no, we will not accept her and we will not allow her to land, then who knows what would have happened.” Hasina has been living in self-imposed exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh following the sudden collapse of her government in August 2024 amid student-led protests. Her extradition was first sought by the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, and the demand has since been repeated by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government led by Rahman.

Her presence in India has also remained a point of contention in bilateral relations, which have seen some improvement since Tariq Rahman’s government came to power earlier this year. Bangladesh, however, has expressed anger over interviews given by Hasina while living in self-imposed exile, including a recent interview in which she announced plans to return to Bangladesh in December, where she faces a death sentence.

Trivedi also said that New Delhi could not set a deadline for her return because her extradition request is being considered as part of a legal process. Responding to questions about Dhaka’s repeated requests for the former prime minister’s extradition, he said, “No one can give you a time frame [for Hasina’s return.” He added, “Time and again, the Government of India has responded that there is a process, and it is an established legal process.”