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New Delhi/Dhaka: India may be left with the onerous task of navigating a diplomatic minefield after Bangladesh interim govt formally sought ousted PM Sheikh Hasina's extradition. The foreign ministry on Monday confirmed it had received a note verbale from the Bangladesh high commission, but said it had no comment to offer on the matter. The extradition request followed an arrest warrant issued against Hasina over her alleged involvement in " crimes against humanity " during student protests that led to her downfall this Aug. Confirming the development in Dhaka, foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain referred to Bangladesh's desire to try her in the cases. The Centre is expected to come up with a more elaborate response at some stage, couched in legal and diplomatic terms, but it's unlikely to act on the request anytime soon, from what TOI has learnt. Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy reacted sharply, calling it a "political witch hunt to persecute" Awami League brass. He accused "judges and prosecutors appointed by the unelected Yunus-led regime of conducting a farcical trial in a kangaroo tribunal " against her. Extradition under the 2013 treaty that India has with Bangladesh can be a lengthy and complex affair, given that Hasina will most certainly challenge it in court, and also the need for India to balance its legal commitments with geopolitical considerations. Article 6 of the treaty says extradition may be refused if the offence for which it is requested is of political nature. India can also cite Article 8 that says a person may not be extradited if he can convince the requested state that the accusation against him "not having been made in good faith in the interests of justice". Beyond the legalities though, there are two compelling reasons for India to refuse the extradition and which continue to play on the minds of Indian foreign policy mandarins. First, it doesn't behove a country aspiring for great power status to turn its back on a long-time friend and ally who diligently served its interests. "Handing over Hasina is not an option. It will send a terrible message globally that India can't protect someone who worked closely with us,'' said a former ambassador, who follows Bangladesh closely, on condition of anonymity. The second reason is the need for India to protect the left-liberal apparatus, or whatever that is left of it, that has been jettisoned by the right-wing Islamist forces who are threatening to plunge the country into chaos. India realises that abandoning Hasina now will send a wrong message to her still considerable support base who can play an important role in balancing the increasing political and religious extremism. This is crucial for India as the ascendant radical forces in Bangladesh are unlikely to come round to working constructively with the Indian govt, even as the Indian govt continues to maintain that it accords the highest priority to the interests of the people of Bangladesh. The ongoing efforts by the interim govt in Bangladesh to rebuild ties with Pakistan clearly serve as an indicator. However, for India, the fact that it couldn't successfully pursue the third option – of finding a haven for Hasina abroad – will continue to rankle. "Perhaps we should have worked harder to convince countries like the UAE or even Saudi Arabia, with which we have good ties, to take her,'' said the ambassador. With Bangladesh officially seeking her extradition, that option probably just vanished. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword . Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes , messages , and quotes.

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Brie Larson has traded in her long, golden blond tresses for a dramatic new ‘do. The “Captain Marvel” star chopped off her locks ahead of her upcoming West End performance in the drama “Elektra,” where she’ll portray the titular character. Larson, 35, debuted the hair major transformation — a brunette pixie cut with side swept bangs — in new snaps shared via Instagram on Monday. “Elektra is here,” the actress captioned her post . Although Larson uploaded the snapshots in black-and-white, it appears she opted for a much darker hue. In the first slide, the Oscar winner was pictured grinning ear-to-ear as she showed off the new look. The second slide featured her offering up a more serious pose, complete with a smize. The “Lessons in Chemistry” star also posted a more up-close look at the hairstyle via her Instagram Story, captioning the selfie with a simple black heart emoji. The transformation comes less than two months before Larson is set to take the stage at Brighton, England’s Theatre Royal. Larson will portray the role of Elektra, a woman who is “haunted by her father’s assassination” and is “consumed by grief, a need for survival and a thirst for vengeance,” per the play’s website . The production of “Elektra” will be based off of the Sophocles-written Greek tragedy and translated by poet Anne Carson. Soon after Larson shared pics of her pixie cut with her social media followers, many of them took to the comments section to express how perfect her transformation is as she gets into character for the role. “your face is so dynamic and matches nicely with so many hair styles, this cut is no exception,” one admirer gushed via X . “YOUR HAIR?!! OMGGGGG!!!! YOU LOOK SO GOOD AS ELEKTRA!!” another wrote underneath Larson’s post on X. Despite many adoring Larson’s physical transformation into Elektra, others weren’t as pleased. “It’s different. I must admit I do prefer the longer hair,” one netizen wrote , while another added , “Ow no. What did you do! Cant wait for it to grow back!!” Meanwhile, a separate follower had Jennifer Garner’s 2005 version of Elektra in mind. “Not the Elektra I was thinking of,” they wrote alongside a photo of Garner in the poster for the film. Larson’s play will run at the Theatre Royal in Brighton from Jan. 13 to Jan. 18 and later at London’s Duke of York Theater from Jan. 24 to April 12.