India Extends Sheikh Hasina’s Visa

New Delhi: India has extended the visa of deposed former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, who has been in India since August 2024. The extension comes amid growing calls for her extradition from Dhaka, where the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has formally requested her return.

In an official note verbale to India’s External Affairs Ministry on December 23, the Dhaka administration sought Hasina’s extradition. Despite the request, sources have confirmed that India’s visa extension for Sheikh Hasina does not imply any grant of asylum. The extension was processed through India’s Foreigners Regional Registration Office, with involvement from the Home Ministry.

Shortly after Hasina’s arrival in India, her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who is based in the United States, dismissed rumors that her visa had been revoked or that she had applied for political asylum. Speaking on August 9, 2024, Joy clarified, “No one has revoked her visa. She has not applied for political asylum anywhere. Those are all rumors.”

The extension of Sheikh Hasina’s visa comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh concerning her status and the ongoing political situation in Dhaka.