Former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police SP Vaid on Tuesday stated that India’s position regarding ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is firm: the country will not extradite her to Dhaka. He also accused Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s interim government, of engaging in “cheap politics.”

Speaking to ANI, Vaid said, “Muhammad Yunus is playing cheap politics and attempting to corner India. When a new government takes over and Yunus himself flees Bangladesh, how would he feel if an absentia trial is conducted against him for the killings carried out by radicals against the minority community? How would he react if he is denied the chance to defend himself and is sentenced to death?”

Vaid emphasized that Bangladesh should allow Hasina a fair opportunity to defend herself. “India will not extradite Sheikh Hasina. Our policy is clear: she should be given a fair chance to defend herself, and then we will respond accordingly,” he added. On Monday, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested India to immediately extradite Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, citing obligations under the extradition treaty.

In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs noted the verdict issued by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh against Hasina, stating that India remains committed to the best interests of the Bangladeshi people and will continue to engage constructively with all stakeholders. A Bangladesh court on Monday found former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina guilty of “crimes against humanity” during the July-August 2024 uprising. The International Crimes Tribunal-1 reportedly sentenced her to death.