India had "hardly any choice" but to accept former prime minister Sheikh Hasina when she arrived in the country after leaving Bangladesh in August 2024, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said today (3 October).
"At that point in time, Hasina was still the prime minister of Bangladesh. We had hardly any choice on that. It was our duty as a neighbour to accept the reality of life, because situations are such where at times you are not prepared for it," Trivedi said during a panel discussion in Dhaka.
He said India was not prepared for the situation and questioned what alternative New Delhi had at the time.
"I was watching on television, and the scroll was coming that she's going somewhere else in some other country," he said.
Trivedi also stressed that Hasina was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Army.
"Going back to history, Hasina was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Indian Army," he said, referring to the circumstances surrounding her departure from Bangladesh.
He described the situation in Bangladesh at the time as arising from "tragic circumstances", adding that such circumstances should never be repeated anywhere in the world.
"What was our choice? If you would have said that no, we are not going to accept, we don't give landing permission. Things would have been I don't know what," he said.
Trivedi, however, said Bangladesh's request for Hasina's extradition is now being dealt with through an established legal process in India.
"Again and again, the government of India has replied to this that there is a process, and the process is legal, and it is well structured. So, as far as that is concerned, the process is on," he said while responding to a question.
He said the courts are involved in the matter and therefore "nobody can give you a timeframe" for a decision.
"The legal process is there in place, which you can be very sure," Trivedi said, adding that India is a "vibrant democracy", as is Bangladesh, and that the legal system is continuing to deal with the matter.
Bangladesh has repeatedly requested India to extradite Hasina, who has been staying in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024.
The issue was also raised by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during his meeting with Trivedi in Dhaka in August.
India's Ministry of External Affairs subsequently said Bangladesh's request was being examined in line with established procedures.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs subsequently said that Bangladesh’s extradition request was being examined in line with established procedures.
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West Bengal Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh has alleged that elements in Bangladesh are involved in the ongoing protests demanding the removal of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Ghosh claimed that social media posts by several Bangladeshi ministers could offer clues about those allegedly behind the protests.
The BJP leader made the remarks on Monday evening, October 13, while responding to questions from journalists at the inauguration of a Durga Puja festival in Habra, North 24 Parganas district.
He alleged that people who had previously worked behind the scenes to organise the protests were now coming out into the open. He also claimed that some people based abroad were attempting to destabilise India.
Ghosh further alleged that the protest movement was receiving foreign funding. He said the Indian central government had initiated steps to introduce legislation related to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) in Parliament to regulate the flow of funds from abroad and ensure transparency in the use of donations.
According to Ghosh, the protests were being intensified in an attempt to obstruct that initiative.
However, the report did not clarify whether he presented any evidence to substantiate his allegations of foreign funding or the alleged involvement of elements in Bangladesh.
India has dispatched the first batch of 18 LHB broad-gauge passenger coaches to Bangladesh Railway under a deal to supply 200 coaches, The Times of India reported yesterday (13 October).
RITES Ltd, the Indian state-owned transport infrastructure consultancy, announced the dispatch on Tuesday. The first batch was sent on 12 October 2026 from the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala, Punjab.
The batch comprises 11 non-AC chair cars, three AC chair cars, two AC sleeper coaches and two AC power cars. The power cars include a guard room and luggage space, the company said.
The 200-coach order, placed by Bangladesh Railway through RITES in 2024, covers seven variants of passenger coaches customised to meet the railway's operational requirements.
According to India's Ministry of Railways, the collaboration between RCF and Bangladesh Railway began in 2015-16, when the Indian factory supplied 120 LHB broad-gauge passenger coaches to Bangladesh.
RITES said its supplies to Bangladesh to date include more than 280 locomotives and over 1,085 coaches and diesel multiple unit (DMU) trainsets.
The new coaches feature design modifications aimed at improving passenger comfort. These include reclining seats with stainless steel armrests and footrests, allowing passengers to adjust their seating positions.
The coaches feature adjustable reclining seats with stainless steel armrests and footrests, a dedicated baby care room and a prayer room. They are also equipped with an integrated closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance system, a passenger alarm system, fans inside air-conditioned coaches and partially openable windows.
RCF has introduced several technical modifications to meet Bangladesh Railway's operational requirements. The coaches have been designed to operate on a 415-volt electrical system, compared with the standard 750-volt system used on Indian Railways.
Their roofs have also been reinforced to support the additional weight of passengers travelling on top of the coaches during peak periods.
The coaches are designed to meet European Standard EN 15227 collision-safety requirements, with a redesigned body shell intended to absorb impact during collisions and protect passengers.
The first batch comprises 11 non-air-conditioned Shovan chair cars, three air-conditioned chair cars, two air-conditioned sleeper coaches and two air-conditioned power cars equipped with a guard room and luggage accommodation
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