Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Dinesh Trivedi. Photo: Sangkirit
A legal process is underway to return Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh, said Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Dinesh Trivedi. He said that the spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has repeatedly clarified India’s position on this issue. The matter is under a legal and well-organized process and the court is also involved in it. Therefore, it is not possible to give a specific time frame for returning Sheikh Hasina. He said the same about returning the killers of Osman Hadi.
Dinesh Trivedi made these remarks in response to a question during a session held at the Grand Ballroom of the ‘Bay of Bengal Conversations 2026’ on Saturday.
The Indian High Commissioner said, to answer this issue, we first have to look back at history. The spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has already clarified India’s position on this issue repeatedly. They said – there is a process in this regard and that process is legal and well-organized. Currently, that process is ongoing and the courts are also involved in it. Therefore, it is not possible to give a specific time frame in this regard.
Regarding how Sheikh Hasina went to India, the Indian High Commissioner said, Sheikh Hasina was not taken to India by the Indian Air Force or Army. She came to India in the wake of the tragic situation that had arisen in Bangladesh at that time. He also expressed his hope that such a situation should never arise again in any part of the world, where innocent people have to face such a situation.
Dinesh Trivedi said, “At that time a military plane came to India and India was not prepared for such a situation. I myself was watching on television at that time, it was being broadcast on the scroll that he was going to some other country. At that moment he was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. So, in the reality of the situation, we did not have much of an option before us.”
He said that as a neighbor, it was India’s responsibility to accept the reality of the time. Because sometimes situations arise for which no country is prepared in advance. If India had said that it would not accept him, or even not allow him to land, then it is difficult to say where the situation would have ended.
He said, this was the historical reality of that time. And the legal process that exists in the current situation is moving at its own pace. Just as Bangladesh is a vibrant democratic country and its people respect the rule of law and the judiciary, India also respects its legal process as a vibrant democratic country.
What Trivedi said about Bangladesh’s security
Recently, in response to a question about India’s security, Dinesh Trivedi said, “Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign country and they understand their own security better than any other country. There is no reason for anyone to tell Bangladesh what to do. The government and people of Bangladesh have the right to decide for themselves about their own interests and security.”
He said, there is no question of Bangladesh interfering in India’s security. India has full confidence in the people of Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh will also understand that the issue of India interfering in its security will never come to the fore.
Stating that Bangladesh’s relations with India do not depend on Bangladesh’s relations with any other country, he said, “No matter what relations Bangladesh maintains with other countries, they have the right to protect the interests of their people. Similarly, India also has the right to protect its own interests. As a good neighbor, it is important to respect each other’s dignity and honor.”
Stating that India-Bangladesh relations should not be viewed as just a transaction-based relationship, Dinesh Trivedi said that the relationship between the two countries is much broader than that. It has deep cultural and historical ties.
Referring to his origin from West Bengal, he said that as a person from the eastern part of India, he understands well the historical and cultural ties that exist between Bangladesh and India. These cultural ties between the two countries are very strong and fundamental.
He said, the India-Bangladesh relationship is difficult for the outside world to fully understand. On one side is Nazrul Giti, on the other Rabindra Sangeet. Even Rabindranath Tagore is the composer of the national anthems of both countries. Such a relationship highlights the unique depth of the bond between the two countries.
Stating that security relations and transactional relations are not the same, Dinesh Trivedi said, “The people of Bangladesh are very intelligent and they also understand the importance of India’s security. Therefore, he does not think that there will be any situation in the future where there will be a cause for concern from Bangladesh regarding India’s security.”
Regarding the differences between India and Bangladesh, he said, “Just as there are sometimes problems or differences within a family, there may be some issues between the two countries as well. If there are no problems, that is not a characteristic of democracy. There will be differences in democracy. However, the only way to solve these problems is through dialogue, discussion, consultation and mutual communication. And the basis of this dialogue is trust.”
Dinesh Trivedi said, it is not possible to solve any relationship problem by keeping distance. India-Bangladesh relations are always an ongoing process. He sees the love and mutual sincerity between the people of the two countries. That is why he believes that the basic foundation of the relationship between the two countries remains unshakable.
