Sheikh Hasina must return to Bangladesh to face her sentence

The opinion article argues that Sheikh Hasina should return to Bangladesh to face the sentence imposed after she was convicted of crimes against humanity. It says her continued political activity from India compounds the uncertainty felt by families affected by the 2024 uprising and risks undermining Bangladesh’s democratic transition.

The UN estimated that up to 1,400 people may have been killed during the uprising, with thousands injured, and found evidence of systematic repression; those findings were not a criminal verdict. Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal later convicted Hasina in absentia and sentenced her to death, a ruling she has called politically motivated. Bangladesh has requested her extradition, and the article argues India should assess that request on its legal merits, noting the treaty excludes murder and incitement to murder from the political-offence exception while retaining other safeguards.