Dhaka— The Bangladesh government has strongly condemned a virtual media interaction held by deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from New Delhi, stating that allowing her to address journalists from Indian soil has severely hurt public sentiment and undermined efforts to reset bilateral relations. In a sharply worded statement released on Wednesday evening, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed outrage that the former leader, whom it described as an “absconding convicted genocider,” was permitted to engage with the press and launch “venomous vitriol” against the Bangladeshi state and its people.
The diplomatic protest came shortly after Hasina addressed an event organized by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in the Indian capital. The ministry noted that Dhaka had previously conveyed its concerns to the Indian government regarding the potential negative ramifications of the event on the relationship between the two countries. Earlier in the day, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, clarified that the interaction was organized by a private media entity and that the Indian government had no involvement whatsoever, nor did it endorse any views expressed at the forum.
Responding directly to Hasina’s remarks, Dhaka criticized her rejection of the narrative surrounding the July and August 2024 uprising, characterizing it as a denial of facts established by the United Nations. The foreign ministry stated that her attempts to dismiss the killings of innocent civilians during her tenure were a futile bid to reverse the tide of history. The timing of the press event, which coincided with the second anniversary of the July Revolution, was described by Bangladesh officials as an affront to the nation’s sovereignty and a grievous insult to the martyrs of the movement.
Reiterating its stance on the former prime minister’s legal status, Dhaka emphasized that its repeated requests for Hasina’s extradition under the 2013 India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty remain unanswered by New Delhi. Authorities noted that providing her with a platform to interact openly with the media under any pretext is detrimental to the development of harmonious ties. Despite the harsh criticism of the event, the Bangladesh government maintained that it remains committed to fostering a constructive, mutually beneficial, and forward-looking relationship with India based on sovereign equality, mutual respect, and non-interference in internal affairs.
