NEW DELHI: Bangladesh has strongly condemned India's decision to allow former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to address the media from New Delhi, describing the event as an affront to Bangladesh's sovereignty and warning that it could undermine efforts to rebuild bilateral relations.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was "outraged" that Hasina, whom it described as an "absconding convicted genocider", was allowed to participate in a live media interaction in the Indian capital, where she and her associates allegedly made hostile remarks against Bangladesh and its people.
Dhaka said it had conveyed its concerns to New Delhi in advance, cautioning that such an event could have serious consequences for the ongoing reset in India-Bangladesh relations. Despite those warnings, it said, the programme was allowed to proceed.
The statement came as Bangladesh marked the second anniversary of the July Revolution, with the government asserting that Hasina's appearance on Indian soil was a "grievous insult" to those killed during the 2024 uprising and an affront to the country's sovereignty.
The foreign ministry also accused Hasina of attempting to deny findings cited by the United Nations regarding the killing of civilians, including children, during the July-August 2024 unrest. It alleged that her remarks were an attempt to "reverse the tide of history", adding that the Bangladeshi people had already rejected such narratives.
Reaffirming the "ideals of the July Revolution", Dhaka said Bangladesh had resolved never to return to what it described as the "dark days of fascism" and insisted that Hasina and her political network would have no future role in the country's politics.
While reiterating its commitment to maintaining a constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with India based on sovereign equality, mutual respect and non-interference, Bangladesh expressed disappointment that India has yet to respond to its requests for Hasina's extradition under the 2013 India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty.
The ministry said permitting Hasina to engage publicly with the media, despite repeated extradition requests, had deeply hurt public sentiment in Bangladesh and was detrimental to the development of harmonious bilateral relations between the two neighbours.