Diplomatic challenge for India: What demand did BNP make after win in Bangladesh election?
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, has gone into full action mode after registering a historic and landslide victory in the 2026 Bangladesh General Elections. Immediately after securing a clear majority in the election results, the BNP has once again reiterated its old and most significant demand to India.
The BNP has formally urged the Indian government to extradite ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh as soon as possible so that she can be tried in the cases pending against her in the courts there.
Sheikh Hasina should face trial: BNP
Party Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has clarified that the BNP remains firm on this demand. According to Ahmed, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry has already raised the issue of extradition, and the BNP fully supports it. The party believes that Sheikh Hasina should face trial according to the law. He also stressed that the BNP wants good relations with all neighboring countries, including India, on an equal basis, but the judicial process cannot be ignored.
A special tribunal in Bangladesh has sentenced Hasina to death
It is noteworthy that after the student protests in August 2024, Sheikh Hasina was forced to abdicate power and seek refuge in India. She is currently living under tight security at an undisclosed location in the capital, Delhi. A special tribunal in Bangladesh has sentenced her to death, prosecuting her for crimes against humanity.
On the other hand, Sheikh Hasina has called the recent election process a "sham" and alleged that all cases against her are merely political conspiracies. She says she is willing to return to Bangladesh, but this requires the resignation of Muhammad Yunus and an impartial judiciary.
A difficult test for future relations between the two countries
This demand by the BNP has created a major diplomatic dilemma for New Delhi. India's Ministry of External Affairs had previously stated that the extradition request was being examined according to legal procedures. Although India has congratulated Tarique Rahman on his victory, the Hasina issue could prove to be a difficult test for future relations between the two countries. India has always made it clear that it is committed to peace, stability, and democracy in Bangladesh and will continue dialogue with all parties.
Hasina has been addressing her supporters through statements while in India, which were objected to by interim government head Mohammad Yunus. Now that the BNP is returning to power with an absolute majority, the issue of Sheikh Hasina's return and the cases against her have become central to South Asian politics.