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India has extended the visa of Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been residing in the country since August last year, sources said. The move comes against the backdrop of mounting demands from the interim government in Bangladesh for her extradition.
Sources, however, refuted claims of Hasina, who fled Dhaka on August 5 amid violent protests by students, being granted asylum. They clarified that India lacks specific legislation for granting asylum and stressed that her visa extension should not be interpreted as a move towards offering refuge.
“This is purely a technical extension to facilitate her stay,” a source said. Sources have confirmed that Hasina has been living under tight security in a safehouse in Delhi.
The interim government in Bangladesh, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, formally sought Hasina’s extradition on December 23. Officials in Dhaka claimed that Hasina must face charges related to her alleged involvement in incidents of violence and disappearances during the 2024 protests, which left over 500 people dead.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh’s immigration department announced the cancellation of 97 passports, including that of Hasina’s. Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, a spokesperson for Yunus, said it was linked to allegations of enforced disappearances and killings during the 2024 protests.
“Passports of 22 individuals were revoked for their involvement in enforced disappearances, while 75 others, including Sheikh Hasina, were implicated in the July killings,” Majumder said at a press briefing, as reported by Bangladesh’s state-run BSS news agency.
India now finds itself in a delicate position. While Sheikh Hasina’s prolonged stay poses no immediate threat to bilateral relations, Bangladesh’s extradition demand has complicated the situation.
The extradition request comes at a time when Bangladesh’s interim government is under fire for its handling of opposition leaders. Critics have argued that the cancellation of Hasina’s passport and the charges levelled against her were politically motivated attempts to consolidate power ahead of the next general elections.
