'We had hardly any choice': Trivedi on Hasina's arrival in India

India had "hardly any choice" but to accept former prime minister Sheikh Hasina when she arrived in the country after leaving Bangladesh in August 2024, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said today (3 October).

"At that point in time, Hasina was still the prime minister of Bangladesh. 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 are not prepared for it," Trivedi said during a panel discussion in Dhaka.

He said India was not prepared for the situation and questioned what alternative New Delhi had at the time.

"I was watching on television, and the scroll was coming that she's going somewhere else in some other country," he said.

Trivedi also stressed that Hasina was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Army.

"Going back to history, Hasina was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Indian Army," he said, referring to the circumstances surrounding her departure from Bangladesh.

He described the situation in Bangladesh at the time as arising from "tragic circumstances", adding that such circumstances should never be repeated anywhere in the world.

"What was our choice? If you would have said that no, we are not going to accept, we don't give landing permission. Things would have been I don't know what," he said.

Trivedi, however, said Bangladesh's request for Hasina's extradition is now being dealt with through an established legal process in India.

"Again and again, the government of India has replied to this that there is a process, and the process is legal, and it is well structured. So, as far as that is concerned, the process is on," he said while responding to a question.

He said the courts are involved in the matter and therefore "nobody can give you a timeframe" for a decision.

"The legal process is there in place, which you can be very sure," Trivedi said, adding that India is a "vibrant democracy", as is Bangladesh, and that the legal system is continuing to deal with the matter.

Bangladesh has repeatedly requested India to extradite Hasina, who has been staying in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024.

The issue was also raised by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during his meeting with Trivedi in Dhaka in August.

India's Ministry of External Affairs subsequently said Bangladesh's request was being examined in line with established procedures.