Bangladesh will press India to extradite ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and the alleged killers of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi at the fifth Consular Dialogue in Dhaka on November 17-18, diplomatic sources in Dhaka and New Delhi told The Daily Star.
It will be the first time Dhaka raises the issue at such a formal meeting since the July uprising in 2024. Bangladesh first sought their extradition through a diplomatic note verbale in December 2024 and renewed the request after Hasina and Kamal were sentenced to death in November 2025.
Hasina has remained in India since fleeing Bangladesh during the mass uprising in August 2024. She and Kamal were sentenced to death in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal for crimes against humanity.
India proposed November 17-18 for the director‑general‑level dialogue, and Dhaka agreed, a diplomat said. Bangladesh had initially proposed late October, but India preferred November due to the Durga Puja festivities.
The meeting comes amid a series of bilateral engagements ahead of a possible visit to India by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The two countries also held trade talks in October.
“At the consular dialogue, Dhaka will seek the extradition of political figures currently taking refuge in India, including Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and the alleged killers of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi,” a foreign ministry official said, requesting anonymity.
The talks are also expected to cover border management, alleged push‑ins from India, visa services, repatriation of detained nationals, release of fishermen, the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and renewal of the Revised Travel Arrangement, which has been extended every six months since its expiry in 2023.
Repatriation of fishermen is a priority for India. A High Commission official said New Delhi had shared a draft protocol with Dhaka to expedite the process.
Esha Srivastava, joint secretary of India’s consular, passport and visa division, and Shah Asif Rahman, director general of the South Asia wing at Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, will lead their respective delegations.
Established in 2017, the dialogue covers consular matters, visa procedures and mutual legal assistance. Four rounds have been held so far, most recently in New Delhi in May 2024.
Why it matters
The extradition request underscores Bangladesh's pursuit of accountability for alleged crimes and signals a shift in bilateral relations with India.