Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi on Tuesday avoided questions about India’s position on extraditing deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity.

‘Political statements are a separate matter. A lot has already been said about this, and I do not want to get into it today,’ he told reporters at the secretariat.

Trivedi made the remarks after paying a courtesy call on road transport and bridges minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam.

Asked about India’s position on Hasina’s extradition and why New Delhi had allowed her to make public statements while staying in India, Trivedi said they had discussed democracy and issues concerning ordinary people.

‘We discussed democracy and what is in the interest of ordinary people and what is good for them with the honourable minister,’ he said.

‘I will be able to give you some good news about the Maitree Express very soon,’ he added, before leaving the secretariat.

Earlier in the day, prime minister’s information and broadcasting adviser Zahed Ur Rahman said the Bangladesh government was serious about bringing Hasina back to the country.

‘We want to tell Sheikh Hasina that you do not need to come on your own; we want to bring you back. The chief prosecutor has said that she has no opportunity to appeal now. The death penalty awaits her in Bangladesh,’ Zahed told reporters at the secretariat.

Referring to interviews Hasina has given to Indian media outlets since her ouster, Zahed said the government had not expected her to be allowed to make such statements while in India.

‘We had expected that she would not be able to do these things before her extradition,’ he said.

‘Given the state of relations between the two countries, the Indian government could at least have taken one step to improve the situation by preventing her from speaking. Why is it not doing so? You should ask the Indian high commissioner here about that,’ Zahed said.

Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, following the mass uprising that led to the fall of her Awami League government.

She has since spoken to Indian media several times. Bangladesh-India relations, already strained following her ouster, deteriorated further after she was allowed to address a media conference in New Delhi on August 5 this year, despite Dhaka’s request to New Delhi not to allow her to speak publicly.

Meanwhile, India had extended two invitations to prime minister Tarique Rahman — one for a bilateral visit and another to attend the BRICS summit scheduled for September 12–13.

Media reports said Tarique was expected to hold bilateral talks in the third week of August, but the visit did not take place.

His attendance at the BRICS summit also appears unlikely.