When Dhaka Pushes to Bring Back Hasina for Trials in Home Soil

Bangladesh’s current interim government continues to pursue the return of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka, aiming to compel her to face hundreds of legal cases lodged across the South Asian nation and ultimately deliver justice to the victims. The caretaker regime in Dhaka also seems to harbor an underlying agenda to embarrass the Union government in New Delhi for providing shelter to the autocratic Awami League chief, who ruled India’s immediate neighbor for over two decades.

New Delhi granted asylum to septuagenarian Hasina on short notice after she was forced to flee her country following an unprecedented student-led uprising in July–August 2024. India has since continued to support the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, albeit without any formal announcement.

Lately, the Bangladeshi government, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, approached the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) with a request to issue a Red Notice against Hasina and some of her associates, citing their involvement in mass killings during the monsoon uprising. A formal request was sent to the France-based intergovernmental body by the national central bureau of the Bangladesh Police, claiming that all the accused have been absconding in foreign countries for several months.

Red Notices, although not international arrest warrants, are serious measures used to alert law enforcement agencies worldwide about fugitives wanted for crimes like murder, rape, and fraud. These notices aid in locating the individuals and initiating legal procedures.

During a recent meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangkok, held on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, Prof. Yunus reiterated the demand for Hasina’s repatriation. New Delhi has remained non-committal and, in turn, urged the Yunus administration to ensure the safety and security of religious minorities in the Muslim-majority country.

Popular Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin, who was also forced to flee Bangladesh, echoed a similar sentiment. In a recent media interview, Taslima expressed empathy towards Hasina, even though her passport was not renewed by the then-premier Bangabandhu Kanya. Now both women have taken refuge in India, and Taslima wonders how Hasina might respond if they were to meet by chance in Delhi, posing the question: “How does it feel to lose one’s home country?”

Awami League’s arch-rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has long accused Hasina of being an agent of New Delhi. This narrative resurfaced when BNP vice-chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu recently declared during a public speech that Hasina would have integrated Bangladesh with India if given the chance. “Hasina has fled to her actual address,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, the recent abduction and murder of Bhabesh Chandra Roy (58) has triggered fresh outrage. New Delhi has described it as yet another systematic attack on minorities in Bangladesh. Roy, an office bearer of the Biral Upazila Puja Udjapan Parishad, was reportedly kidnapped from his home in Basudebpur village on April 17 and beaten to death by four individuals.

According to his wife Shantana Roy, the assailants first called Roy to confirm his presence at home and later took him away to Narabari village. He returned in an almost unconscious state in a rickshaw van and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead. The victim’s son, Swapan Chandra Roy, filed a police complaint naming illegal moneylenders Atikur Islam, Ratan Islam, Munna Islam, and Md. Rubel as the perpetrators.

India’s main opposition party, the Congress, strongly condemned Roy’s murder and called on the Union government to engage with the Dhaka regime to ensure a thorough investigation. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called Roy’s death a chilling reminder of the rising insecurity faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh, stressing that it was not an isolated incident.

“In recent months, there have been repeated and deeply disturbing attacks on minority communities — from desecration of temples to targeted assaults on homes and businesses. This pattern of intimidation and brutality cannot be ignored,” he added.

Dhaka-based human rights group Aain O Salish Kendra recently reported 147 incidents of vandalism targeting Hindu homes, temples, and businesses in a single month. The report stated that 408 households were affected, including 36 cases of arson. It also recorded 113 attacks on Hindu-owned businesses and 32 instances of vandalism against temples and Ahmadiyya mosques.

In light of ongoing violence, the United States recently renewed its travel advisory for Bangladesh, urging citizens to reconsider travel to the country — especially the Chittagong Hill Tracts region — due to elevated risks of violence, terrorism, and kidnapping.