Srilanka, Nov. 23 -- The thorny question of extraditing former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India to face a death sentence for alleged "crimes against humanity" including "mass murder" is unlikely to be resolved by legal or diplomatic means any time soon given the complexity of the issues and the high stakes involved.

Nevertheless, the two countries are indulging in aggressive posturing for the psychological impact this will have on the opponent and also to keep their domestic constituencies satisfied.

Bangladesh is using its new-found ally, Pakistan, to checkmate India. In recent months, Dhaka and Islamabad have struck security deals aimed at containing India, the regional hegemon. India is not taking kindly to the Bang...