India says Hasina's extradition a legal issue

The spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, on Tuesday said former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition is a legal matter and that there has been no change in New Delhi's position on Dhaka's request.

"There is no change in India's stance on Bangladesh's extradition request," Jaiswal said at the ministry's weekly media briefing in New Delhi.

"On this particular issue, there is no change in our approach. Any extradition is a legal issue, and it will be dealt with accordingly," he said.

Jaiswal was responding to a question about Hasina's recent interview with Reuters in which she said she and other Awami League leaders planned to return to Bangladesh by December.

Hasina and other Awami League leaders have been staying in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024 following a student-led mass uprising that toppled her government.

Bangladesh has repeatedly requested India to extradite Hasina so that she can face trial in cases, including those involving alleged crimes against humanity and murder.

Responding to another question on media reports suggesting India's development projects in Bangladesh could be shelved due to a lack of progress, Jaiswal said the projects continue under mutual consultation.

"Our development project programme that we have in Bangladesh is something that has been done in mutual consultation with Bangladesh, and it continues to be so," he said.

The development projects were initiated during Sheikh Hasina's tenure in office before her government left power in August 2024.