Published: 12:08 AM, 04 October 2026
India had no choice except giving entry to Sheikh Hasina: Dinesh Trivedi
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said that India had no other option on 5 August 2024 but to allow former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to enter India. He made the comment during a question-and-answer session at the Bay of Bengal Conference on Saturday (3 October 2026).
Dinesh Trivedi said that, as an old friend, India did what it could. He also said it was impossible to know what would have happened if India had not allowed the aircraft carrying Sheikh Hasina to land in the country at that time.
Regarding how Sheikh Hasina entered India, the Indian High Commissioner said she was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Army. Rather, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina travelled to India aboard a Bangladeshi military aircraft.
On the issue of sending Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi said it is a legal process that is ongoing. He said the matter is entirely part of a structured legal process involving the courts. Therefore, it is not possible to provide any specific deadline or timeframe.
Responding to questions raised by students, he further said that India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has already clarified several times that the matter falls within a specific legal framework.
He said that, as a democratic country, India respects its own legal system. The legal process concerning the possible return of Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh is currently underway, Dinesh Trivedi added.
>>Bernard Priyam, AA
