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Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi explains why India allowed Sheikh Hasina to land in 2024 amid Bangladesh’s political crisis. (Images: Dynamite News)
New Delhi/Dhaka: India had “hardly any choice”, but to allow Sheikh Hasina to land in the country in August 2024 because she was still serving as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister at the time, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said. Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka, Trivedi said Hasina’s arrival came unexpectedly amid the political upheaval in Bangladesh. He also clarified that the Indian military had not arranged or facilitated her journey to India.
Explaining New Delhi’s decision, Trivedi said Hasina was still the PM of Bangladesh when her aircraft arrived in India. He said India was confronted with an extraordinary situation and, as a neighbouring country had a responsibility to respond to the circumstances. According to Trivedi, refusing permission for the aircraft to land could have created an entirely different situation. He questioned what alternative India had at a time when events in Bangladesh were unfolding rapidly.
Trivedi said Indian authorities had not anticipated Hasina’s arrival and were caught off guard by the rapidly changing situation. He recalled watching television reports indicating that Hasina was heading towards another country before the aircraft eventually arrived in India.
The envoy also rejected suggestions that New Delhi had orchestrated her movement out of Bangladesh. “Hasina Ji was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Indian Army,” Trivedi said, according to reports of his remarks.
Hasina left Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, as intense protests culminated in the collapse of her government. Reports said she travelled to India aboard a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft. A Bangladesh Army-led security detail escorted Hasina from her official residence as protesters moved towards the premises. Trivedi described the circumstances surrounding her departure as tragic and said he hoped such situations, involving the loss of innocent lives, would not be repeated anywhere in the world.
Trivedi also addressed Bangladesh’s repeated demand for Hasina’s extradition. He said the matter was being dealt with through a structured legal process involving the courts and that it was therefore not possible to provide a timeline for her return. “There is a process, and the process involves legality. And it is very structured,” Trivedi said, adding that the courts were involved in the matter.
Bangladesh first formally requested Hasina’s extradition in December 2024. The demand has subsequently been reiterated by the government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Hasina’s continued stay in India remains a sensitive issue in relations between New Delhi and Dhaka. Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her return, while India has maintained that the extradition request is being examined through established legal procedures. Trivedi’s latest remarks offer a fresh explanation of the circumstances surrounding Hasina’s arrival in India while making clear that New Delhi has not set a deadline for deciding the extradition request.
The issue is likely to remain an important part of India-Bangladesh diplomatic discussions as both countries navigate their broader bilateral relationship.
