Dhaka says it had flagged concerns to New Delhi before the press conference was allowed to proceed
Bangladesh said on Wednesday that it was outraged by the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's media appearance in New Delhi, claiming that the incident had damaged its people's feelings and might have a negative impact on attempts to strengthen bilateral relations with India.
Hasina stated that she is committed to returning to Bangladesh in December to put the nation on the "right track" during an audio-only virtual news conference, which was her first public media engagement since escaping to India on August 5, 2024, in response to a large-scale protest. Attendees could only hear the former prime minister's voice and could not see her.
Bangladesh is "outraged" that the "absconding convicted" Hasina was permitted to interact live with the media in New Delhi, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in response to the news conference. The ministry claimed that although it had previously expressed to the Indian government its worries on the "likely ramifications" of the event for bilateral relations, the interaction was permitted to occur.
A "constructive, mutually beneficial, and forward-looking relationship with India based on sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and national dignity" is what Bangladesh hopes to preserve, according to the statement. On the contrary, it said, permitting Hasina to publicly interact with the media has hurt public sentiment in Bangladesh and was "detrimental to the development of harmonious bilateral relations" between the two neighbours.
The MoFA expressed disappointment that its requests seeking Hasina's return under the India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty signed in 2013 had not yet received a response. Last November, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka for alleged "crimes against humanity" over her government's brutal crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.
Since the verdict, Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her to face the law. The statement described Hasina's remarks from India as an "affront" to Bangladesh's sovereignty and an insult to those who lost their lives during the July Revolution.
The ministry also rejected Hasina's comments on the July-August 2024 violence, alleging that they sought to deny findings documented by the United Nations regarding civilian casualties during the unrest. Hasina said in her virtual media exchange that the July and August 2024 protests in Bangladesh that led to the overthrow of her administration were not a nonviolent student movement.
"Organised groups" attempted to transform the movement into a "violent political instrument," she claimed. It wasn't just an impromptu student demonstration. There was no accountable or obvious leadership. Instructions were delivered covertly. Hasina claimed that it was planned and utilized to provide a route to power outside of the voting booth.
The MoFA statement reaffirmed its dedication to the principles of the July Revolution and stated that any attempt to revert to what it called "the dark days of fascism" has been rejected by the Bangladeshi people. According to a February 2025 UN rights office report, up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year, the period dubbed the ‘July Uprising,’ as Hasina’s government ordered a security crackdown on protesters.
