We had no choice: Dinesh Trivedi on India giving shelter to Sheikh Hasina in 2024
India had “hardly any choice” but to let Sheikh Hasina’s aircraft land in August 2024, Indian envoy to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said on Saturday, calling it a neighbour’s duty.
Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka, Trivedi also said a legal process concerning Hasina’s extradition was underway but gave no timeline.
His remarks came amid Bangladesh’s renewed extradition demand and discussions over Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to New Delhi.advertisement❮❯ Read Full Story‘OUR DUTY AS A NEIGHBOUR’Trivedi said Hasina arrived aboard a military aircraft without prior arrangements by India, rather than being brought by the Indian Air Force or Army.
“We had hardly any choice on that. It was our duty as a neighbour to accept the reality of life, because situations are such where, at times, you’re not prepared for it,” he said.
He questioned what would have happened had India refused landing permission. Trivedi recalled TV reports suggesting Hasina was heading to another country and said she was still Bangladesh’s prime minister at that point.NO TIMELINE FOR EXTRADITION PROCESS
Referring to earlier Ministry of External Affairs responses, Trivedi said the legal process was structured and underway.
“The courts are involved, so nobody can give you a time frame,” he said, without identifying the proceedings.
Rahman delivered the opening remarks at the event but was not present during Trivedi’s panel discussion.
Hasina, 79, has been living in India since she fled Dhaka after her government fell in August 2024. India has maintained that Bangladesh’s extradition request is being examined under established procedures.DHAKA RENEWS DEMAND FOR HASINA’S RETURN
The interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus took office on August 8, 2024 and governed Bangladesh for 18 months. Relations with India deteriorated during that period.
Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia in November 2025 over the deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising. She has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated.
The interim administration also barred the Awami League from political activity and sought her extradition through a diplomatic note.
Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party government, which took office after the February 12 elections, retained the restrictions and renewed the demand. The Awami League was barred from contesting the polls.RAHMAN’S INDIA VISIT STILL UNDER DISCUSSION
The dispute has complicated Rahman’s proposed visit to New Delhi. India extended a bilateral invitation in February and invited him to the BRICS Summit last month, but he declined the BRICS outreach invitation.
Hasina’s virtual press interaction from New Delhi on August 5 added to the tensions. Bangladesh said it had “vitiated” the atmosphere for Rahman’s visit. India said it had no role in the event and did not endorse her remarks about the Bangladesh government.
Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has since said Dhaka was “positive” about progress in discussions on the visit. No date has been fixed.- Ends
Indrajit Kundu is an Editor and chief of Kolkata Bureau at the TV Today Network. A multimedia journalist with over 16 years experience, he reports from West Bengal, Odisha, Northeast India and Bangladesh. An alumni of the Asian College of Journalism, he holds a certificate in broadcast journalism from BBC World Service Trust. He is also a US State Department International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Fellow.
