Bangladesh ‘shocked’ and ‘aggrieved’ by Sheikh Hasina press event in Delhi, says it sets ‘dangerous precedent’

Two days after deposed Awami League of Bangladesh shared audio messages by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a press event at the Foreign Correspondents Club South Asia in Delhi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh said the event had “shocked” and “surprised” the people of Bangladesh.

“The Government and the people of Bangladesh are surprised and shocked that fugitive Sheikh Hasina, who has been convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal for committing crimes against humanity, was allowed to make a statement at a public event in New Delhi on 23^rd January,” said the Foreign Ministry in its statement. Several Awami League leaders, including former Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh A.K. Abdul Momen, spoke at the event titled “Save Democracy in Bangladesh”, where two statements in English and Bengali by Ms. Hasina were shared with the media persons.

Ms. Hasina has been staying in an undisclosed location in India since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024. The interim government of Dhaka has been pressing India to repatriate Ms. Hasina to face justice at the International Crimes Tribunal that has given a death sentence to her as well as the former Home Minister of Bangladesh Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The Foreign Ministry said that Bangladesh was “deeply aggrieved” by the event at the Foreign Correspondents Club, saying “allowing” the event to go ahead was “contrary to the norms of inter-State relations, including the principles of respect for sovereignty, non-interference and good neighbourliness, and constitute a clear affront to the people and the Government of Bangladesh”.

“It sets a dangerous precedent vis-à-vis the future of Bangladesh-India relations and may seriously impair the ability of the future elected polity in Bangladesh to engage, shape and nurture mutually beneficial bilateral relations,” said the Ministry in the statement accusing Ms. Hasina of inciting “acts of terror” ahead of the upcoming election in Bangladesh.