India extends Sheikh Hasina's visa amid extradition demand by Bangladesh
What's the story
India has extended the visa of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's deposed prime minister who took refuge in India after violent student protests in Dhaka on August 5, 2024, according to multiple reports.
The decision comes amid growing demands from Bangladesh's interim government for her extradition.
The extension is a technical measure and not an indication of asylum, as India lacks specific legislation for granting such protection, India Today reported, citing sources.
Extradition request
Bangladesh's interim government seeks Hasina's extradition
The interim government in Bangladesh, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, officially sought Hasina's extradition on December 23.
They accuse her of violence and disappearances during the 2024 protests that left over 500 dead.
On January 6, Bangladesh's International Criminal Tribunal issued a second arrest warrant against Hasina and others, ordering police to produce them by February 12.
Canceled passports
Bangladesh cancels passports, India's response uncertain
Along with the arrest warrant, Bangladesh's immigration department also canceled 97 passports, including Hasina's, for involvement in enforced disappearances and killings during the protests.
Yunus's spokesperson Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said that "passports of 22 individuals were revoked for their involvement in enforced disappearances," while "75 others, including Sheikh Hasina," were implicated in the July killings.