New Delhi: India has responded to the death sentence handed to former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal, stating that it remains committed to the welfare and stability of the Bangladeshi people. The tribunal found Hasina guilty on three charges related to alleged crimes against humanity, including incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent violence during last year’s student-led uprising that led to the fall of her government.
In its official statement, India acknowledged the ruling and underlined its continued engagement with Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs emphasised that New Delhi will work constructively with all stakeholders in support of peace, inclusion and democratic stability in the neighbouring country.
The response came amid calls from Bangladesh’s interim government urging India to hand over Hasina, who fled to New Delhi following her ouster. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry referenced the bilateral extradition treaty and argued that returning individuals convicted of serious offences was a responsibility under the agreement.
According to officials in Dhaka, Hasina and two of her associates were found guilty after a months-long trial. The tribunal concluded that the former leader acted alongside former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun to carry out a violent crackdown against protesters across the country. While all three were initially charged, the former police chief was later pardoned by the court.
Hasina, who is currently staying in a secure location in New Delhi, has rejected the ruling outright. She described the judgement as illegitimate and accused the tribunal of functioning under an unelected administration. In a strongly worded statement, she said the decision lacked credibility and was not supported by the people of Bangladesh.
The verdict marks a significant escalation in the political turmoil that has gripped Bangladesh since last year’s unrest, with the implications of the ruling likely to shape the country’s political trajectory in the coming months.
