Where is Sheikh Hasina now and how has India responded to Bangladesh after ICT verdict?

India’s cautious response to the death sentence handed to ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has sharpened focus on her whereabouts and future. While Dhaka has demanded her immediate extradition, New Delhi has avoided any direct comment, reinforcing expectations that Hasina will continue to remain in India, where she has lived since fleeing Bangladesh last year.

Hasina remains in a secured Delhi safe house

Sheikh Hasina has been living under tight protection in a concealed safe house in Delhi since 5 August 2024, when she escaped mass protests and was removed from office. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed, recently said India is treating her “like a head of state” and providing full security.

In earlier emailed replies to Hindustan Times, the 78-year-old expressed gratitude for India’s support. “I am deeply grateful to the Indian people for providing me with a safe haven this past year,” she wrote.

Hasina told Reuters in October that she felt relatively secure in Delhi and could move “freely”, though she remained cautious about her safety. She also made it clear she would not return to Bangladesh unless a “legitimate” government is in place and law and order is fully restored. She added that she “would not return… under any government formed after elections that exclude her party.”

India avoids extradition comment, pledges support for Bangladesh stability

Hours after the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh sentenced Hasina to death for crimes against humanity, India said it had “noted” the verdict. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stressed that New Delhi remains committed to the best interests of Bangladesh’s people and will “engage constructively with all stakeholders” to support peace, democracy and stability.

However, the MEA did not comment on Bangladesh’s demand to extradite Hasina under the two countries’ treaty. Dhaka’s foreign ministry said handing her over is India’s “duty” following her sentencing.

Hasina rejects verdict as politically motivated

Hasina described the judgement as one delivered by a “rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected government with no democratic mandate.” She accused the interim administration of “brazen and murderous intent” to eliminate her and erase the Awami League as a political force.

She insisted she is willing to face her “accusers” in a fair tribunal and urged that charges be brought before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Verdict delivered ahead of elections her party cannot contest

The death sentence comes months ahead of Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections. The Awami League has been barred from contesting the February polls, leaving Hasina’s political future and the country’s democratic trajectory deeply uncertain.