News Summary
Editorial review completed.
- Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry has strongly protested India’s permission granted to ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to give a media interview.
- Bangladesh considers Hasina guilty of crimes against nationality and repeatedly requests the Indian government for her extradition, but no response has been given.
- The former Prime Minister announced she will return to Bangladesh virtually in December and is prepared to face legal consequences.
21 Shrawan (RASS/ANI) – Bangladesh has expressed strong objections to the direct media interaction of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday in New Delhi. Hasina is accused of collective crimes against Bangladesh’s nationality and people.
In a press statement released on Wednesday, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry conveyed deep dissatisfaction over India allowing the fugitive genocidal offender Sheikh Hasina to speak directly with the media in New Delhi.
The statement expressed regret that the Indian government permitted Hasina to speak at a public event and organize such a program without considering the potential impact on bilateral relations.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that while the people of Bangladesh are commemorating the second anniversary of the July Revolution, Sheikh Hasina’s media interaction on Indian soil seriously disrespected Bangladesh’s sovereignty and the martyrs of the July Revolution.
The ministry noted that Hasina’s denial of the United Nations-established facts regarding the brutal killings, including those of innocent citizens and minors in July and August 2024, and the reactivation of a fugitive mass murderer are attempts to rewrite history. The people of Bangladesh have consistently rejected such efforts and continue to do so.
Embracing the ideals of the July Revolution, the Foreign Ministry stated that the people of Bangladesh are firmly resolved never to return to the fascist era. The ministry further asserted that Hasina, described as a ‘mass murderer’, and her associates should never have a place in Bangladesh’s political landscape.
The statement highlighted that Bangladesh seeks sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and a constructive, mutually beneficial, and progressive relationship with India based on national dignity. However, repeated requests by Bangladesh for Hasina’s extradition under the 2013 bilateral extradition treaty have so far gone unanswered by the Indian government.
Contrary to the treaty, providing Hasina the opportunity to speak openly with the media is detrimental to the development of cordial bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India, the statement said.
Earlier, ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced her decision to return home in December, stating she is prepared to face arrest, imprisonment, or any life challenges.
Addressing her first press conference virtually from New Delhi after leaving Bangladesh, Hasina spoke about the hardships faced by her supporters and compatriots. She expressed that fate is awaiting her, asserted she cannot remain away from her people, and declared she will return to her beloved countrymen in December.
