Dhaka, Bangladesh: Dinesh Trivedi, the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, shared insights on Saturday about the unexpected visit of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to New Delhi two years ago. He clarified that the Indian military was not involved in arranging her travel during that time.
Speaking at an event called the Bay of Bengal Conversation, organized by the Centre for Governance Studies in Dhaka, Trivedi answered questions related to Hasina’s legal status and current discussions about her extradition.
He remarked, “Hasinaji was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Army.” Trivedi emphasized that her arrival was a direct result of unfortunate circumstances in Bangladesh, expressing hope that such tragedies, where innocent lives are lost, should never happen anywhere in the world.
Trivedi noted that Indian officials were surprised by the sudden situation. “The military aircraft came to India, and we were not prepared for this. I remember watching on television as news broke that she was heading to another country. At that time, Hasinaji was still the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, leaving us with limited options. As a neighbor, it was our responsibility to accept the reality of the situation,” he added.
He also questioned the implications of denying “landing permission,” suggesting it could have changed the course of events significantly. Trivedi pointed out that both India and Bangladesh are vibrant democracies, and their legal systems are currently assessing the ongoing matters related to bilateral legal processes.
An initial extradition request was made in December 2024 by an interim government, followed by repeated calls from the administration of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman after the general elections in February 2026. In recent discussions, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman reiterated this request to India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Prime Minister Rahman raised the issue with Trivedi during a courtesy visit in August.
