The Bangladesh government has issued a strong protest against remarks made by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a live interaction with the media in New Delhi, India, on August 5.
In a statement released on the evening of August 5, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep disappointment that the Indian government had allowed Sheikh Hasina to interact with the media despite Dhaka having conveyed its concerns in advance about the possible impact of such an event on bilateral relations.
During the interaction, Sheikh Hasina called for the ban on her Awami League party to be lifted and declared that she would return to Bangladesh in December 2026. She also said that she would return even if she faced imprisonment or the death penalty.
She further alleged that the student-led protests of July 2024 had not arisen spontaneously, but were orchestrated by organized groups that had manipulated students for political purposes.
Hasina also accused the current government of obstructing investigations into the violence that occurred during July and August 2024 in order to prevent the truth from emerging.
Commenting on the economy, she criticized the current administration for what she described as economic mismanagement, claiming that unemployment had risen to more than 20 million people. She also called for the release of political prisoners.
In response, the Bangladesh government accused Hasina of attempting to deny findings and established facts recognized by the United Nations regarding the July Revolution.
According to the Foreign Ministry’s statement, allowing such remarks to be made from Indian soil on the second anniversary of the July Revolution constituted an affront to Bangladesh’s sovereignty and an insult to those who lost their lives during the uprising.
The statement also noted that Bangladesh had repeatedly requested India to return Sheikh Hasina under the extradition treaty signed between the two countries in 2013, but had not yet received any official response from New Delhi.
However, Sheikh Hasina has rejected the charges and allegations brought against her, maintaining that they are politically motivated. She has continued to criticize the actions of the current Bangladesh government.
Photo: Social Media
