Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina's stay in India is her personal decision influenced by the "circumstances", NDTV has reported.
He made the remark on Saturday while speaking to NDTV's CEO and Editor-In-Chief Rahul Kanwal at the HT Leadership Summit.
Asked whether Hasina would be welcome to stay in India for "as long as she wants", Jaishankar was quoted as saying: "Well, that's a different issue, isn't it? She came here under certain circumstances, and I think that circumstance clearly sort of is a factor in what happens to her. But again, that is something in which she has to make up her mind."
Hasina has been staying in India since fleeing to the neighbouring country in the wake of a student-led uprising in July 2024. She fled on Aug 5, ending her 15-year rule through a bloody crackdown on the protesters.
The 78-year-old Hasina has been sentenced to death in absentia for "crimes against humanity" over her government's brutal response to the protest.
"What we heard was that people in Bangladesh, particularly those who are now in power, had an issue with how the elections were conducted earlier. Now, if the issue was the election, the first order of business would be to do a fair election," Jaishankar said.
"As far as we are concerned, we wish Bangladesh well. We think as a democratic country, any democratic country likes to see the will of the people ascertain through a democratic process," he said.
He added, "And I am quite confident that whatever comes out of the democratic process would have a balanced and mature view about the relationship and hopefully things would improve."
On Nov 17, the International Crimes Tribunal also handed Hasina's home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal a death sentence. Kamal is also believed to be staying in India.
The interim government requested the extradition of Hasina and Kamal one more time after the delivery of the ICT verdict. Delhi confirmed receiving the extradition request sent on Nov 23. India has said nothing about its decision on the request.
Led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the interim government accused Hasina of trying to "destabilise" Bangladesh from Delhi. The government has also accused Indian media of spreading "false and fabricated" information and running "exaggerated campaigns".
India, on the other hand, has expressed concerns over the "lack of security" of minorities in Bangladesh. India has called for action.
Both countries have also summoned their diplomats over matters involving border tensions and Hasina. The countries have also resorted to trade restrictions. On May 17, India announced a halt on the import of Bangladeshi garments and processed food products through land ports.
On Nov 12, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned India's deputy high commissioner in Dhaka after Hasina gave interviews to different international media from Delhi.
