Daijiworld Media Network - Dhaka/ New Delhi
Dhaka/New Delhi, Jan 25: Bangladesh on Sunday said it was “surprised” and “shocked” over India allowing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to deliver a public address from New Delhi, warning that the move could seriously impair bilateral relations.
In a sharply worded statement, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said permitting Hasina to address a gathering in the Indian capital amounted to a “clear affront” to the people and the government of Bangladesh.
“The government and the people of Bangladesh are surprised and shocked. Allowing the event to take place in the Indian capital and letting mass murderer Hasina openly deliver her hate speech constitute a clear affront to the people and the Government of Bangladesh,” the ministry said.
The statement further warned that allowing the speech set a “dangerous precedent” that could have long-term consequences for ties between the two neighbouring countries.
Seventy-eight-year-old Sheikh Hasina has been staying in India since August 2024, after a student-led mass movement ended her 15-year rule in Bangladesh. On Friday, she made her first public speech since her ouster, delivering an audio address to a packed press club in New Delhi.
Hasina was convicted in absentia by a Dhaka court in November on charges of incitement, issuing orders to kill, and failing to prevent atrocities, and was sentenced to death.
In her address, Hasina urged the people of Bangladesh to overthrow the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, claiming it was incapable of ensuring free and fair elections. The speech came less than three weeks ahead of the general election scheduled for February 12.
Describing Yunus as a “corrupt, power-hungry traitor,” Hasina alleged that he was part of a conspiracy that led to her removal from office.
“In this grave hour, the entire nation must rise united and galvanised by the spirit of our great Liberation War,” she said, calling upon citizens to resist what she described as a “foreign-serving puppet regime”.
She also called for an end to violence and lawlessness in the country and demanded an “ironclad guarantee” for the safety of religious minorities, women and vulnerable sections of society. Hasina further sought a “new and truly impartial” United Nations investigation into events following the fall of her government.
Claiming that Bangladesh had been “plunged into an age of terror,” Hasina alleged that democracy was “in exile,” human rights were being violated, press freedom extinguished, and religious minorities facing continued persecution under the interim administration.
The event was also addressed, both in person and virtually, by several senior Awami League leaders, including former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury and former foreign minister AK Abdul Momen, who echoed concerns that the upcoming elections would not be free and fair without their party’s participation.