Unease: Hasina arrived in
India on August 5 after massive protests in her home country toppled her
16-year rule. Since then, ties between the two countries have remained
strained. Bangladesh’s interim government has repeatedly condemned Hasina's
public statements from her refuge in India.
Protocol: So, will
India send Hasina back? An extradition treaty already exists between New Delhi
and Dhaka but it comes with certain terms and conditions. Extradition may be
refused if the offence is of a “political nature”. However, the list of
offences which cannot be deemed “political” is rather long, and Hasina has been
charged with some of them. While there's more to the fine print of the
treaty that
provides ground for refusal, the
decision is sure to be a political one.