‘Not A Roadblock’: BNP ‘Hopeful’ India Will Extradite Hasina, Says Dhaka‑Delhi Ties Won’t Suffer

Last Updated:February 15, 2026, 08:48 IST

BNP senior leader Fakhrul said any move on Hasina’s extradition would follow due legal process and international rules.

Hours after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party won a landslide victory in Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections, senior leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the party remains hopeful that India will extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He said the issue would not become a roadblock in ties between the two countries.

According to an India Today report, Fakhrul said any move on Hasina’s extradition would follow due legal process and international rules.

“It depends. It will go as per rules, as per the international rules that are there. Bangladesh has already asked to repatriate her from India to Bangladesh. That is clear," he said.

Hasina has been living in New Delhi since August 2024, when a mass uprising forced her to step down and leave the country. In November 2025, a special tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia in a case linked to crimes against humanity during the 2024 unrest.

When asked whether the BNP, after coming to power, would officially seek her extradition, Fakhrul said the matter would proceed according to established legal frameworks. He noted that Bangladesh and India have an extradition treaty in place.

“Yes. If we want it, we want her to come back," he said.

‘Not a roadblock’ in India-Bangladesh ties

Responding to a question on whether the extradition issue could affect normalisation of ties between New Delhi and Dhaka, Fakhrul dismissed the possibility.

“It will not be a roadblock between Bangladesh and India’s relationship. India has never denied that she is there. And she never said that India would not return Hasina. It will all depend on the development that takes place at that time. Time is the best healer," he said.

When asked about his statement that India has not officially clarified its position on the extradition, Fakhrul said, “Yes. We are hopeful."

Fakhrul is one of the senior-most leaders of the BNP and a close aide of Tarique Rahman. He has led the party for several decades, including during Rahman’s exile in England.

Bangladesh polls

The BNP’s comments came a day after it secured a landslide win in the first parliamentary elections held since the 2024 uprising.

The Awami League, led by Hasina, was barred from contesting after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus suspended the party’s activities in 2025 amid investigations into its role during the unrest.

A day earlier, senior BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed said the party would continue to press for Hasina’s return through legal and diplomatic channels.

“The foreign ministry has already taken up the matter, and we support that move. We always press for her extradition according to the law. This is an issue between the foreign ministries of the two countries," he said.

‘Bangladesh first’ in foreign policy

After a sweeping win in the 13th National Parliamentary Elections, Tarique Rahman said his party would put “Bangladesh first" when shaping foreign policy, including ties with India and other South Asian countries.

Responding to a question on relations with India, the BNP chief said the interests of Bangladesh and its people would determine all external engagements, stressing that policy would be guided strictly by national priorities.

News world ‘Not A Roadblock’: BNP ‘Hopeful’ India Will Extradite Hasina, Says Dhaka‑Delhi Ties Won’t Suffer

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