Bangladesh election result 2026: What’s next for Sheikh Hasina? BNP victory puts Delhi’s ‘guest’ in the eye of the storm | World News
All eyes are on New Delhi as Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a landslide victory in the February 2026 general elections. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in a secure “safe house” in India since her ouster in August 2024, currently faces an unstable and possibly hostile political climate.
With his party, the Awami League, banned and his rivals given mandates, his “Delhi exile” status evolved from a mere diplomatic courtesy to a major issue in Indo-Bangla relations.
Death penalty and official extradition
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Legal pressure on Hasina intensified in November 2025, when a special court in Dhaka sentenced her to death in absentia for “crimes against humanity” during the 2024 student-led uprising.
official request: Following the verdict, the interim government and now the BNP have officially applied for the 2013 India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty.
BNP’s mission: Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman described Hasina’s presence in India as a “sovereignty issue”. He signaled that his government would actively seek his return through diplomatic channels.
Exiled Hasina: ‘A fake election’
Even though she was away, Hasina did not remain silent. He issued a strong statement from Delhi in late January 2026, calling the elections without the largest political party in the country a “farce” and a “carefully planned fraud”.
In his voice message, which attracted great attention in Dhaka, he reportedly said, “To restore the Constitution written with the blood of martyrs, the brave sons and daughters of Bangladesh must regain our independence from this puppet regime.”
However, the MEA distanced itself from his comments, stating that India “never allows its territory to be used for activities against the interests of the friendly people of Bangladesh”.
India’s diplomatic rope
New Delhi finds itself in a difficult situation. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to congratulate Tarique Rahman on his “decisive” victory by showing goodwill to the new administration, the “Hasina factor” remains an unresolved issue.
legal exit: Under Article 6 of the extradition treaty, India can reject the request if the crime is deemed “political in nature”. India’s Position: Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar had earlier stated that Hasina came to India “under certain circumstances” and that her future was a decision she would eventually have to “decide”.
humanitarian shield: Diplomatic observers believed that India was unlikely to extradite a former head of state to face the death penalty because it could set a dangerous precedent and damage India’s image as a stable regional protector.
Going ‘Beyond Sheikh Hasina’
The BNP’s victory marks the first time in nearly 30 years that neither Sheikh Hasina nor the late Khaleda Zia were on the ballot paper. Senior BNP leaders have expressed their desire to take bilateral relations “beyond Sheikh Hasina” if New Delhi accepts the new political reality in Dhaka.
For now, Sheikh Hasina continues to be kept under tight security in central Delhi. His rare walks in Lodhi Garden are in sharp contrast to the political turmoil his presence continues to cause across the border.
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