Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi says Sheikh Hasina’s arrival in India two years ago was unexpected and insists the Indian military did not arrange her flight….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said on Saturday that former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s arrival in New Delhi two years ago was “unexpected”, stressing that the Indian military had no role in arranging her flight.
Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation in Dhaka, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies, a local think tank, Trivedi responded to questions over Hasina’s legal status in India and the ongoing demands for her extradition.
Addressing the issue, Trivedi said, “Hasinaji was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or the Indian Army.” He said her arrival took place against the backdrop of the “tragic circumstances” in Bangladesh at the time and expressed hope that such events, involving the loss of innocent lives, would not happen again.
“It so happened because of the tragic circumstances in Bangladesh during that time. We hope and pray that should never happen, where innocent people get killed, doesn’t matter in which part of the world,” he said.
The High Commissioner said Indian authorities were caught off guard by the sudden development and had not been prepared for Hasina’s arrival.
“The military aircraft came to India… India was not prepared. I was watching on television, and the scroll was coming that she was going to some other country. At that point, Hasinaji was still the prime minister of Bangladesh. We had hardly any choice on that. It was our duty as a neighbour to accept the reality of life. Because situations are such that at times you are not prepared for such….”
Trivedi questioned what choice India had at the time, saying that refusing “landing permission” could have fundamentally changed the situation as events unfolded.
“What was our [India’s] choice?” he asked, while noting that both India and Bangladesh are vibrant democracies and that their respective “legal systems” are examining matters related to bilateral legal procedures.
Bangladesh’s extradition demand for Hasina has remained an issue between the two countries. An initial formal extradition request was submitted by the interim administration in December 2024.
The demand was subsequently repeated by the administration of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, which assumed office following the February 2026 general elections.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman reiterated the demand during talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar earlier this year. Prime Minister Rahman also raised the issue when Trivedi paid a courtesy call in August.
