Name? Sheikh Hasina
Westphalian identity? Bangladeshi
Age? 79
Why is she in the news? This week, former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina had her passport renewal denied by Bangladeshi authorities. Following more than two years of self-exile in India, the deposed prime minister plans to return to Bangladesh in December. Last November, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia for crimes against humanity during the student uprisings of the summer of 2024. If apprehended upon her return, Hasina faces the death penalty.
Why do we care? Bangladesh and India have actually had an extradition treaty since 2013. Despite this and Bangladesh’s formal requests for Hasina’s extradition, India has essentially left them on read. This is because India has been a longtime ally of the Hasina family. Moreover, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi benefitted from Prime Minister Hasina’s actions against Islamist organisations and anti-India terrorist groups based in Bangladesh.
Why should you care? After her escape in 2024, Hasina’s party, the Awami League (AL), was banned from participating in national elections. Since then—following an 18-month transitional government—the country has achieved fragile political stability under the governance of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has especially affected Bangladesh, which relies on imports to meet 95% of its energy needs. Hasina’s return could embroil the country in another political crisis in the pursuit of her party’s reinstatement.
Who else cares? Current Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Given India’s sympathy toward Hasina and the Awami League, her shelter in India and now her return are framed as India’s interference in Bangladeshi internal affairs. As leader of the BNP, Rahman primarily campaigned on addressing Bangladesh’s entrenched corruption, state repression, and slow economic growth. As these issues continue, Hasina will likely seek to exploit this weakness.
Any further comments? India and Bangladesh’s treaty on water-sharing of the Ganges River expires on 12 December, the month Hasina plans to make her return.
