In a dramatic escalation of political tensions, Bangladesh’s interim government has once again formally approached India seeking the extradition of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). The renewed request comes amid intensifying street protests demanding her return and execution.

According to state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), a fresh letter was dispatched to New Delhi on Friday. Foreign affairs adviser Touhid Hossain confirmed the development, saying only that “the letter was sent the day before yesterday,” without revealing further details about its contents or India’s response.

The 78-year-old former leader has reportedly been living in hiding in India since being overthrown during the student-led “July Uprising” of August 2024, which toppled her decade-long rule marked by increasing authoritarianism.

Tensions boiled over again this weekend as thousands of demonstrators poured onto the streets of Dhaka and several other major cities on Saturday. Protesters demanded that Hasina be brought back immediately to face the death sentence handed down by the ICT on November 17 for alleged killings during the 2024 student protests. Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also sentenced to death in the same case, while ex–police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun — who appeared as a state witness — received a five-year prison term.

The tribunal’s ruling has deepened political fractures in Bangladesh, especially after a UN human rights report claimed that nearly 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year as the government attempted to suppress the uprising.

Following the fall of Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus returned from Paris to take charge as chief adviser to the interim administration, responding to calls from agitating students.

This is the second time Dhaka has formally sought Hasina’s extradition. The interim government had earlier issued a diplomatic note in December 2024 requesting her handover, a communication that India acknowledged but did not act on.

However, after the latest ICT verdict, New Delhi noted the tribunal’s decision. In its brief statement, the External Affairs Ministry said that “India has noted the verdict announced by the ‘International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh’ concerning former prime minister Sheikh Hasina,” without clarifying whether it would engage with the renewed extradition plea.