India has extended the visa of Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh, who has been residing in India since August, reports the Hindustan Times citing sources.
This development comes against the backdrop of increasing demands from Dhaka for her extradition.
Hasina fled to India following her resignation during widespread national protests.
Upon her arrival at Hindon Airbase on 5 August, she remained out of public view and was reportedly relocated to a secure residence in Delhi.
The interim administration in Dhaka, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, formally requested her extradition through a note verbale dispatched to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on 23 December.
Sources revealed that Hasina's visa had recently been extended to facilitate her continued stay.
They dismissed conjectures regarding her being granted asylum, clarifying that India lacks specific legislation to address asylum and refugee matters.
The extension of Hasina's visa was processed by India's home ministry, requiring approval from the local Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
No additional details were provided.
According to the report by Hindustan Times on 3 January, the Indian government is unlikely to act on Bangladesh's extradition request due to Dhaka’s failure to complete essential procedural requirements.
On Tuesday evening, an official from Bangladesh's Department of Immigration and Passports announced the cancellation of passports for 97 individuals, including Hasina, citing their alleged involvement in enforced disappearances and fatalities during the July protests.
These measures are perceived in New Delhi as manoeuvres by factions within Bangladesh’s interim government to maintain pressure on India regarding Hasina's extradition.
Shortly after Hasina's arrival in India, her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, based in the United States, refuted reports of her visa revocation and any asylum application.
"Her visa has not been revoked, and she has not applied for political asylum anywhere. These are merely rumours," Joy told ANI on 9 August last year.
The UK government subsequently dismissed the prospect of an asylum application, citing that its Immigration Rules prohibit asylum requests from outside the UK.
Reports have also surfaced about the revocation of Hasina's US visa.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs, which has acknowledged Bangladesh’s extradition request but refrained from commenting on it, stated that decisions about Hasina’s future plans rest with her.
"Regarding former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, we have no updates on her intentions. It is for her to decide on the next steps," said ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a previous media briefing.
