Against the backdrop of continued tension with India because of the continued presence of former PM Sheikh Hasina on Indian soil, the Foreign Affairs Advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh Touhid Hossain said on Saturday (November 22, 2025) that Bangladesh will “insist” on its right to pursue its national interest.

Mr. Hossain said Bangladesh is aware that the fragile global crisis management mechanism has not helped in resolving enduring conflicts like in Myanmar, and said Bangladesh will work towards harnessing the full potential of the Bay of Bengal region.

“Bangladesh insists on its sovereignty and its right to pursue its national interest. In practice, this means that our partnership must deliver tangible benefits, not symbolic only. We will engage with major and middle powers, but our decisions will be guided by national interest, sovereign equality, and mutual respect,” said Mr. Hossain.

Mr. Hossain did not talk about the death sentence that the International Crimes Tribunal gave days earlier to the deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, but referred to the government of Ms. Hasina, who is currently in India, as an “oppressive regime that restricted civil space”.

The Foreign Affairs Advisor to the interim government described the Bay of Bengal region as a “strategic fulcrum” and that “Bangladesh intends to be a confident actor and not a passive corridor only.”

Mr. Hossain made specific mentions of the circumstances in neighbouring Myanmar, the conflict in the Gaza Strip and the civil war in Sudan, Africa, where the global system of crisis management did not bring an end to human suffering. “My country knows the cost of fragility. We have opened the doors to hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar, we have contributed to U.N. peace missions, and we know how quickly humanitarian crises can escalate,” said Mr. Hossain.

Referring to the regional situation, Mr. Hossain called for responsive institutions that will sustain connectivity and commerce, but said economic partnerships should not be “predatory” in nature. “We must harness the boundless potential of the Bay of Bengal and turn it into a corridor of growth of peace and prosperity,” said Mr. Hossain.

Bangladesh urged Indian government on Monday (November 17, 2025) to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal after both were sentenced to death for their role in the crackdown against a student uprising last year.

Dhaka said New Delhi was obliged to do so under an extradition treaty. Hasina, who fled after violent student protests last year, has been in India since.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) of Bangladesh on Monday (November 17, 2025) ordered the execution by hanging of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal after finding them guilty of genocide committed during the July–August 2024 violence in a case involving crimes against humanity. 

Bangladesh’s fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (November 17, 2025) called the guilty verdict and death sentence in her crimes against humanity trial “biased and politically motivated”.

Ms. Hasina, 78, defied court orders that she return from India to attend her trial about whether she ordered a deadly crackdown against the student-led uprising that ousted her.

“The verdicts announced against me have been made by a rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected government with no democratic mandate,” Ms. Hasina said in a statement issued from hiding in India.

“They are biased and politically motivated.”

Critics accused her of jailing political rivals, enacting harsh anti-press laws, and overseeing widespread human rights abuses, including the killing of opposition activists.

Indian government responds

Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement issued on Monday (November 17, 2025) that Indian government noted the verdict announced by International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh concerning former PM Sheikh Hasina.

MEA said,” India remains committed to best interests of people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy and stability.”

MEA added that Indian government “will always engage constructively with all stakeholders considering best interests of people of Bangladesh.”