Bangladesh Interim Govt Objects to Hasina’s Public Remarks from India

Bangladesh, Jan 26 : The Bangladesh interim government has said it was “surprised and shocked” by India allowing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to speak publicly in New Delhi, terming the move a violation of diplomatic norms and an affront to Bangladesh’s sovereignty.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Mohammed Yunus-led interim government’s foreign ministry said the episode undermined established bilateral principles and risked setting a damaging precedent for future Bangladesh–India relations.

The ministry said it was “deeply aggrieved” that Hasina whom it described as a fugitive convicted by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal was permitted to address a public gathering, warning that such actions could jeopardise the country’s democratic transition as well as internal peace and security.

According to the statement, Hasina’s remarks at the New Delhi event included calls for the removal of the interim administration and alleged incitement of violence aimed at disrupting Bangladesh’s forthcoming general elections. The ministry said this occurred despite Bangladesh’s repeated requests for her extradition under a bilateral treaty that, it noted, India has yet to act upon.

Calling the development a breach of inter-state conduct, the interim government said allowing the address contradicted principles of sovereignty, non-interference and good neighbourliness, and amounted to a serious diplomatic provocation. It warned that the episode could have long-term consequences for bilateral engagement and complicate efforts by future elected governments to build constructive ties with New Delhi.

The statement further said the Awami League leadership’s remarks reinforced the interim government’s decision to ban the party’s activities, adding that it would hold the group responsible for any violence before or during election day and take steps to prevent attempts at destabilisation.

Hasina delivered her address via an audio message to an audience at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi. In her remarks, she launched a sharp attack on interim chief Muhammad Yunus, who assumed office in August 2024 following her ouster amid mass protests.

Accusing Yunus of misgovernance and betrayal of national interests, Hasina alleged that Bangladesh was being pushed towards instability through what she described as foreign interference and the erosion of democratic institutions. She repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the interim administration, portraying it as authoritarian and corrupt.

Invoking the legacy of the Liberation War and her father, independence leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina said Bangladesh was facing a grave crisis marked by violence, repression and the collapse of law and order. She described her removal from office as the result of a calculated conspiracy that had plunged the country into fear and uncertainty.

The former prime minister also alleged widespread attacks on minorities, curbs on press freedom and a breakdown of public safety, painting a picture of a nation, she said, standing “on the edge of an abyss.”