Death penalty for Hasina: MEA

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Death penalty for Hasina: MEA dormant on Dhaka's extradite call

Dhaka ordered capital punishment for it's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed and demanded India should handover the fugitive daughter of country's liberator Sheikh Mujibur Rahaman.

New Delhi, however has maintained dormant about Dhaka's call as yet. India's Ministry of External Affairs, in an official statement said: "India has noted the verdict announced by the 'International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh' concerning former prime minister Sheikh Hasina."

Following the verdict, Bangladesh's foreign ministry demanded that Hasina be immediately handed over under an extradition treaty in view of her sentencing.

Hours after a special tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death, India on Monday said it noted the verdict and that it will engage constructively with all stakeholders considering peace, democracy and stability in the neighbouring country.

The Ministry of External Affairs said India remains committed to the best interests of people of Bangladesh.

Hasina was found guilty of crimes against humanity by the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) and it sentenced her to death. Hasina's aide and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also given a death sentence on similar charges.

Hasina, the Awami League leader, has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024 in the face of the massive protests.

"As a close neighbour, India remains committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country," MEA said.

"We will always engage constructively with all stakeholders to that end," the MEA added.

However, it did not comment on Dhaka's call to extradite Hasina. Hasina, as Bangladesh believes, had landed in Hindon Airforce Station, Uttar Pradesh after the rebellion unleashed war against her government.

Hasina's father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - the first president of Bangladesh and country's liberator was assassinated along with most of his family members in his personal residence on 15 August 1975 during a military coup by renegade army officers. His wife, brother, three sons, two daughters-in-laws, and hosts of other relatives, personal staff, police officers, a brigadier general of the Bangladesh Army and many others were killed during the coup.

The only survivors from Mujib's family were his daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, who were visiting Hasina's physicist husband in West Germany at the time. After the coup, they were barred from returning to Bangladesh and were granted asylum by India. Sheikh Hasina lived in New Delhi in exile before returning to Bangladesh on 17 May 1981.