New Delhi to Maintain Same Stance in Hasina's Return to Dhaka: MEA

India has reacted cautiously to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's plan to return to Dhaka from self-exile, stating there is no change in its approach.

The former prime minister has resided in India since fleeing Dhaka in August 2024, following the collapse of her administration amid intense student-led demonstrations. She recently announced her intention to go back to Bangladesh by December 2026 to hand herself over to the courts, despite facing a death penalty there.

"There is no change in our approach to the matter. Any extradition matter is a legal issue, and it will be dealt with accordingly," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Hasina's Return Strategy

The former prime minister outlined her homecoming strategy during a phone interview with Reuters published on 10 July 2026. She intends to end her exile voluntarily, accompanied by senior Awami League figures who fled the country, including former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The group plans to present themselves to the judiciary together, media reports said.

She wants to confront the courts to show her prosecution and capital sentence are "farcical" and driven by politics. The former leader also reportedly plans to use this homecoming to rebuild and breathe new life into her outlawed political organisation.

Dhaka's Hardline Response

Dhaka is likely to jail Hasina immediately upon her arrival with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's administration stating that the former leader is a "convicted criminal" who faces instant detention. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam rejected her planned December return, calling it a deliberate move to rally runaway Awami League members.

Dhaka has "nothing to consider" regarding her remarks, the administration stated, adding that it will persist with official channels to secure her return under the bilateral extradition treaty. This follows a death sentence handed down to Hasina by a special tribunal last year. The court convicted her of "crimes against humanity" over her administration's violent response to the 2024 student demonstrations.

Bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh came under immense strain after Muhammad Yunus took charge of an interim administration that replaced Hasina's government. Her prolonged stay in India continues to further jeopardise relations between the two neighbours. However, diplomatic ties began to stabilise after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended the inauguration of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in February 2026.