Amid the 2024 student protests, Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country and sought refuge in India. Last week, she spoke publicly for the first time through a virtual press conference held in Delhi. During the conference, she primarily discussed her Awami League party and her plans to return to Bangladesh. She expressed her intention to go back by December. Reports have revealed that the Bangladesh government has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the fact that she was allowed to speak to journalists in India. Earlier, in an interview with Reuters, Sheikh Hasina had announced her plans to return home.
Does Sheikh Hasina’s announcement to return home signal an improvement or deterioration in India-Bangladesh relations, which have been tense? An analytical report prepared by BBC News journalist Shubhjyoti Ghosh, based on conversations with experts on India-Bangladesh relations and Awami League leaders, noted that Sheikh Hasina has been in India for the past two years. Following her public declaration of intent to return to Bangladesh with party leaders and activists in December and surrender to the court, both countries have witnessed increased activity.
However, analysts in India view her statement more as a “test of the situation” rather than a “definite announcement of return.” Officially, there has been no significant change in the Indian government’s stance regarding Sheikh Hasina’s stay. Recently, senior officials from India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Home Ministry told the BBC, “India has neither invited Sheikh Hasina nor granted her asylum, nor is there any plan for forced expulsion.” A senior official added, “If she wishes to return after evaluating the current situation, she may do so; if she prefers to stay in India, that is fine too. We have nothing new to share on this matter.”
