Parliamentary panel backs Indias humanitarian approach to Sheikh Hasinas stay
A parliamentary panel on external affairs has highlighted the stay of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina in India, noting that the countrys approach in this regard is guided by its civilisational ethos and humanitarian tradition of providing refuge to individuals facing circumstances of grave distress or existential threat. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, in its report titled Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship, presented in Parliament on Thursday, recommended that the government continue to uphold its principled and humanitarian approach, consistent with Indias values and international responsibilities, while ensuring that such situations are managed with due sensitivity, according to PTI . The Committee note that the stay of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, in the country and Indias approach in this regard is guided by its civilisational ethos and humanitarian tradition of offering refuge to individuals facing circumstances of grave distress or existential threat, the report said. It further stated that the government should continue to uphold its principled and humanitarian approach while managing such situations with due sensitivity, consistent with Indias values and international obligations. Hasina has been living in India since being deposed as Bangladeshs prime minister on August 5 last year, following widespread violent protests in the neighbouring country. On November 17, she was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Bangladesh for crimes against humanity over her governments brutal crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh described the 78-year-old Awami League leader as the mastermind and principal architect of the violent repression that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of protesters. Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also sentenced to death on similar charges, while Hasina had earlier been declared a fugitive by the tribunal. Following the verdict, Bangladeshs foreign ministry demanded that Hasina and Kamal be handed over under the extradition treaty in light of the death sentences. The parliamentary committee, according to the PTI report, noted the extradition request and urged the government to keep it apprised of its consideration of the matter. The panel also observed that the Indian government has ensured that Hasina is not provided a political platform or space to carry out political activities from Indian territory. The Committee also note that while extending such humanitarian consideration, India has strictly adhered to the principle that no political activity is directed against any other country from our territory, the report said. The panel selected the topic Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship for a detailed examination during 2024-25 and 2025-26. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) briefed the committee on December 11, 2024, followed by evidence sessions on March 26 and August 4, 2025, PTI reported. Experts including Shiv Shankar Menon (former National Security Advisor), Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd), Riva Ganguly (former Secretary, MEA), and Dr Amitabh Mattoo (Dean and Professor, School of International Studies, JNU) also gave their views on June 27, 2025, in accordance with Rule 331(L) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. The committee considered and adopted the report in its sitting on December 16. The panel noted that India and Bangladesh share a deep-rooted and multifaceted relationship, shaped by historical, cultural, geographical, and strategic factors. Bilateral ties, which began with Indias crucial role in Bangladeshs liberation in 1971, have grown into a strong and comprehensive partnership, the report said. As a legacy of Indias victory in the 1971 India-Pakistan war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh, December 16 is commemorated as Vijay Diwas. (With inputs from PTI)
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