India has responded to the recent verdict by a Bangladesh court on former prime minister Sheikh Hasin.

The statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign affairs acknowledged the verdict delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh, sentencing Sheikh Hasina and former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death for their role in the crackdown against a student uprising last year.

India emphasised its commitment to the peace, stability, and democratic well-being of Bangladesh, underlining its intent to engage constructively with all stakeholders in the neighbouring country.

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The statement read: As a close neighbour, India remains committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country. We will always engage constructively with all stakeholders to that end.

Bangladesh urged India on Monday to extradite the former prime minister and former interior minister, stating that New Delhi was obliged to do so under an extradition treaty. Hasina, who fled after violent student protests last year, has been in India since.

Hasina, 78, defied court orders that she return from India to attend her trial about whether she ordered a deadly crackdown against a student-led uprising that ousted her.

The highly anticipated ruling, which was broadcast live on national television, comes ahead of the first polls since her overthrow in August 2024.

Former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, also a fugitive, was also sentenced to death, after being found guilty on four counts of crimes against humanity.

Former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who was in court and had pleaded guilty, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.

Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since the end of Hasina's autocratic rule, and violence has marred campaigning for elections expected in February 2026.

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