By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-08-06 07:31:42 | Updated at 2026-08-06 08:21:50
51 minutes ago
DHAKA – Bangladesh’s government criticised India for allowing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to conduct a live media briefing from New Delhi, warning that the event undermines efforts to reset bilateral ties between the neighbours.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka said on the night of Aug 5 that it was “outraged” that the ousted leader, who was convicted in Bangladesh for human rights abuses, was given a platform to make allegations against the state and its people.
“Dhaka deeply regrets that in spite of concerns conveyed a priori to the Government of India about the likely ramifications of this event on the reset of our bilateral relations, this public event was permitted to be held,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Allowing her the opportunity to openly interact with the media under any pretext is deeply hurtful to our people’s sentiment and detrimental to the development of harmonious bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India.”
India’s government said earlier this week it had no involvement in the media event and doesn’t endorse her views.
The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Aug 6.
Hasina has lived in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her 15-year rule.
A special tribunal in 2025 sentenced the former prime minister to death in absentia after convicting her of crimes against humanity over the deadly crackdown on the protests.
Hasina held a virtual press conference in New Delhi on Aug 5 on the second anniversary of her ouster, vowing to return to Bangladesh.
Dhaka called the decision to allow the broadcast from Indian territory “an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh” and an insult to those who died during the uprising.
New Delhi maintained close ties with Hasina’s government for years, and her exile in India has been a source of diplomatic tension between the neighbours.
Since the change in government in Dhaka, however, India has sought to reset ties with Bangladesh’s new leadership.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to make his first visit to India in September to attend the BRICS leaders’ summit.
Bangladesh’s leader was invited in his capacity as chair of BIMSTEC, the seven-country grouping that promotes economic and technical cooperation around the Bay of Bengal.
He has visited Malaysia and China since his election in February 2026.
Bangladesh said its repeated requests to extradite the former leader under a 2013 treaty have “not yet elicited a response.”
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said on Aug 4 that the “government has no involvement whatsoever” in Hasina’s media briefing.
“Neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum,” he added. BLOOMBERG
