Armaan Mathur
Bangladesh’s latest demand for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition has illustrated how the country’s political crisis has cemented itself as one of the most pressing quandaries in the complex tapestry of India’s neighbourhood policy. While the external affairs ministry (MEA) has chosen not to comment at the moment, they have confirmed that a “note verbale” has been received from Dhaka requesting the former Bangladeshi PM’s extradition. This newspaper has reported that India is unlikely to accede to the request due to “incomplete formalities” and “political nature of the request”.
Under the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty, Article 8 lists multiple grounds for refusal, including cases in which an accusation has not been “made in good faith in the interests of justice” or military offences which are not “an offence under the general criminal law”. While an exemption on “political grounds” alone might be tough – some of the offences under which Hasina has been booked are excluded from the definition of political crimes in the treaty – it is conceivable for India to decline the request on the grounds outlined.
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