As Bangladesh struggles to maintain normalcy after days of violent strife last week following the death of Inqilab Moncho leader Osman Hadi, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has placed the blame for the violence entirely on the Yunus government.

Sheikh Hasina said that the killing of Osman Hadi was a reflection of the lawlessness under the present interim government.

“This tragic killing reflects the lawlessness that uprooted my government and has multiplied under Yunus. Violence has become the norm while the interim government either denies it or is powerless to stop it. Such incidents destabilise Bangladesh internally but also our relationships with neighbours who are watching with justified alarm. India sees the chaos, the persecution of minorities, and the erosion of everything we built together. When you cannot maintain basic order within your borders, your credibility on the international stage collapses. This is the reality of Yunus’ Bangladesh,” she said.

The former Bangladesh PM alleged that the government of Nobel laureate and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has placed people with links to extremist ideologies in power.

“I share this concern, as do the millions of Bangladeshis who are prefer the safe, secular state we once were. Yunus has placed extremists in cabinet positions, released convicted terrorists from prison, and allowed groups linked to international terrorist organisations to take roles in public life. He is not a politician and has no experience governing a complex nation. My fear is that radicals are using him to project an acceptable face to the international community while they systematically radicalise our institutions from within,” she said.

“This should alarm not only India, but every nation invested in South Asian stability. The secular character of Bangladeshi politics was one of our greatest strengths, and we cannot allow it to be sacrificed at the whim of a few idiotic extremists,” she added.

Sheikh Hasina also said that Yunus’ ideologies and support for people with extremist links was a key reason for recently strained relations with India.

The Indian government has voiced concerns at the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh after it was reported that a Hindu Man had been lynched during the spiral of violence last week.

“The strain you are witnessing is entirely of Yunus’s making. His government issues hostile statements against India, fails to protect religious minorities, and allows extremists to dictate foreign policy, then expresses surprise when tensions rise. India has been Bangladesh’s most steadfast friend and partner for decades. The ties between our nations are deep and fundamental; they will outlast any temporary government. I am confident that once legitimate governance is restored, Bangladesh will return to the sensible partnership we cultivated over fifteen years, ” Sheik Hasina told ANI.

The former Bangladesh PM alleged that the Yunus government has manufactured this ideology by giving patronage to such people.

“This hostility is being manufactured by extremists who have been emboldened by the Yunus regime. These are the same actors who marched on the Indian embassy and attacked our media offices, who attack minorities with impunity, and who forced me and my family to flee for our lives. Yunus has placed such figures in positions of power and released convicted terrorists from prison,” she said.

“India’s concerns about the safety of its personnel are justified, I am sorry to say. A responsible government would protect diplomatic missions and prosecute those who threaten them. Instead, Yunus grants immunity to hooligans and calls them warriors,” she added.

Sheikh Hasina, who is currently living in exile in India, also criticised recent remarks by a Bangladeshi Politician who had claimed to want to “choke” India’s north east at the Siliguri corridor.

“Such statements are dangerous and irresponsible, reflecting the extremist elements that have gained influence under Yunus. No serious leader would threaten a neighbour upon whom Bangladesh depends for trade, transit, and regional stability. This rhetoric serves only ideological fantasies, not Bangladesh’s national interests. India has every right to view such statements with concern. These voices do not represent the Bangladeshi people, who understand that our prosperity and security depend on strong ties with India. Once democracy is restored and responsible governance returns, such reckless talk will end,” she said.

The former Bangladesh PM alleged that all this was a sign of Yunus trying to realign Bangladesh’s stated foreign policy framework which she says he has no right to.

“Yunus has no mandate to realign Bangladesh’s foreign policy. He was not elected, so has no right to make strategic decisions that could impact generations. Once Bangladeshis can vote freely again, our foreign policy will return to serving our national interests, not the ideological fantasies of extremists who have temporarily seized power. The ties between Bangladesh and India are fundamental and will endure long after this interim government is gone,” she said.

Even as her country struggles to come to grips with the rise of fundamentalist forces, Sheikh Hasina further says that she would only be in a position to return to Bangladesh when the nation has a legitimate government and an independent judiciary.

The spiral of violence in Bangladesh which included the lynching of a Hindu man has elicited deep concern from India, especially in the light of recent threats by radical groups to Indian missions in the country. Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina believes that the stressed relations between India and her country are completely of the making of the interim government headed by Mohammad Yunus.

The former Bangladesh PM accused the Yunus government of issuing hostile statements against India and failing to protect religious minorities.

Also read | How are students reshaping the politics in Bangladesh?

“The strain you are witnessing is entirely of Yunus’ making. His government issues hostile statements against India, fails to protect religious minorities, and allows extremists to dictate foreign policy, then expresses surprise when tensions rise. India has been Bangladesh’s most steadfast friend and partner for decades. The ties between our nations are deep and fundamental; they will outlast any temporary government. I am confident that once legitimate governance is restored, Bangladesh will return to the sensible partnership we cultivated over fifteen years,” she said.

“This hostility is being manufactured by extremists who have been emboldened by the Yunus regime. These are the same actors who marched on the Indian Embassy and attacked our media offices, who attack minorities with impunity, and who forced me and my family to flee for our lives. Yunus has placed such figures in positions of power and released convicted terrorists from prison. India’s concerns about the safety of its personnel are justified, I am sorry to say. A responsible government would protect diplomatic missions and prosecute those who threaten them. Instead, Yunus grants immunity to hooligans and calls them warriors,” she added.

Hasina’s remarks come days after India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Bangladeshi envoy in New Delhi over security concerns linked to protests outside Indian High Commissions in Bangladesh. Dhaka, in turn, had earlier summoned India’s High Commissioner to convey its objections over what it called “anti-election activities” linked to Bangladeshi political figures staying in India.

Hasina, who has been staying in India since her government was ousted last year following mass protests, defended New Delhi’s long-standing ties with Dhaka. “India has been Bangladesh’s most steadfast friend and partner for decades. The ties between our nations are deep and fundamental; they will outlast any temporary government,” she said.

She added that once “legitimate governance is restored”, Bangladesh would return to the “sensible partnership” cultivated during her 15-year tenure.

The diplomatic back-and-forth intensified after Bangladesh on December 14 summoned India’s High Commissioner Pranay Verma, alleging that “fugitive political figures”, including Hasina, were engaging in activities from Indian soil aimed at influencing Bangladesh’s upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for February next year.

New Delhi rejected the accusations, reiterating that India has never allowed its territory to be used for activities harmful to the interests of the people of Bangladesh. India’s Ministry of External Affairs underlined that it remains committed to a stable and democratic Bangladesh.

Tensions further escalated following the killing of Inqilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot at close range in Dhaka on December 12 and later died in Singapore on December 18. His death triggered widespread protests across Bangladesh, including demonstrations outside Indian diplomatic missions.

Following reports of security threats to the Indian High Commission and inflammatory anti-India statements from Bangladesh’s student leaders, during these protests, India summoned the Bangladeshi envoy in New Delhi.

On the death of Osman Hadi, Sheikh Hasina alleged that “lawlessness” that uprooted her regime has multiplied under Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. The former PM also flagged the persecution of minorities in the country, saying that India “sees the chaos.”

“This tragic killing reflects the lawlessness that uprooted my government and has multiplied under Yunus. Violence has become the norm while the interim government either denies it or is powerless to stop it. Such incidents destabilise Bangladesh internally but also our relationships with neighbours who are watching with justified alarm. India sees the chaos, the persecution of minorities, and the erosion of everything we built together. When you cannot maintain basic order within your borders, your credibility on the international stage collapses. This is the reality of Yunus’ Bangladesh,” Sheikh Hasina said.

A youth leader of a right-wing cultural group and a candidate at the February 12 general elections was on Friday (December 12, 2025) shot at by unidentified gunmen in Bangladesh capital.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus expressed deep concern over the shooting and serious injury of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Manch, and said the incident is “completely unacceptable.”

The Inquilab Mancha was on the forefront of a campaign to disband deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League.

Police said three assailants on a motorbike shot Hadi as he initiated his election campaign at central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area — from where he stood as an independent candidate — in the afternoon.

“Osman Hadi was shot at 2.25 p.m. in front of DR Tower on Box Culvert Road at Bijoynagar. We have initially learned that three assailants on a motorcycle shot him and fled the scene,” a spokesman of Dhaka police said.

Hadi was rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

“His (Hadi’s) condition is critical. He has been provided a life support system. The bullet remained inside his head,” Prothom Alo newspaper said, quoting DMCH director Brigadier Mohammad Asaduzzaman as saying.

Chief Adviser Yunus expressed deep concern over the shooting incident and asked the authorities concerned to bring the perpetrators under the law soon.

“Such a violent attack in an election environment is completely unacceptable and a deeply regrettable incident for the country’s peaceful political atmosphere,” Mr. Yunus said in a statement.

The Chief Adviser gave strict instructions to the law enforcement agencies to conduct a swift and comprehensive investigation to identify and bring all those involved in the attack to justice, the state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) said.

The Inquilab Mancha emerged as a rightwing cultural and pressure group in August 2024 after a student-led violent protest in July and August toppled the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government.

The incident occurred a day after the election commission announced the polls schedule saying the 13th parliamentary election would be held on February 12.

The Inquilab Mancha was on the forefront of a campaign to disband Awami League. Yunus-led interim government disbanded Hasina’s party in May this year disqualifying it from contesting the polls.

The group spearheads a campaign to arrest “all terrorists” of the disbanded Awami League from central to grassroots levels and ensure security of the “July warriors”.

A Bangladesh court on Thursday (November 27, 2025) sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in jail in three corruption cases related to irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project.

Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 sentenced 78-year-old former premier to seven years each in three cases of corruption in the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachal, totalling 21 years. The judge said Hasina would serve them consecutively.

The judge also fined Hasina Taka one lakh in each case, or 18 months more in prison if she failed to submit the amount.

Judge Mamun also sentenced Hasina’s son Sajib Wajed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul to five years imprisonment each in the cases filed against them in the housing project near the capital. Joy and Putul were fined Taka one lakh each, or one month more in case of default.

“The plot was allotted to Sheikh Hasina without any application and in a manner that exceeded the legally authorised jurisdiction,” Judge Mamun said while delivering the judgment.

The judgement came 10 days after Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal for “crimes against humanity” over her government’s brutal crackdown on student-led protests last year.

Hasina maintains the charges against her are “biased and politically motivated”.

Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests that toppled her Awami League government. She was earlier declared a fugitive by a court.

Authorities tightened security in and around the court complex in the old part of Dhaka ahead of Thursday’s verdict.

Apart from the Hasina family, 20 others, including former Junior Minister for Housing, Sharif Ahmed, and officials of the housing ministry and Rajdhani Unyan Kartripakkah, were tried in the cases, and except one, all were sentenced to varying prison terms.

The man, who was acquitted, is a junior officer of the Ministry. Only one of the accused faced the trial in person, and he was sentenced to three years.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed six cases between January 12 and 14 and submitted charge-sheets in all of them on March 10.

On July 31, the court framed charges in the three cases and issued arrest warrants against the accused. A total of 29 witnesses testified in the cases.

A day earlier, Foreign Affairs Adviser M Touhid Hossain said Bangladesh expects a response from New Delhi to its earlier request seeking the extradition of Hasina, as the “situation is different now” with the judicial process completed and the former premier convicted.

India on Wednesday said it is examining the interim government’s request to extradite Hasina and asserted that it is committed to ensuring the best interests of the people of that country.

Most Awami League leaders have either been arrested or have fled the country since the collapse of the Hasina regime.

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) on Monday (November 17, 2025) began delivering its verdict in the case against deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is being tried in absentia over alleged crimes against humanity committed during last year’s student-led agitation that led to the fall of her Awami League government.

The three-member tribunal will also pronounce its judgment against Ms. Hasina’s two aides, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, over the same charges. Mr. Mamun was produced before the tribunal. Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for the accused.

Ms. Hasina (78) faces multiple charges arising from the mass uprising that forced her out of office in August 2024. A United Nations rights office report estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 during the “July Uprising” as her government ordered a sweeping security crackdown.

Ms. Hasina and Mr. Kamal were declared fugitives and tried in absentia, while Mamun initially faced trial in person before turning approver. Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam has described Ms. Hasina as the “mastermind and principal architect” of the alleged atrocities during the protests. Her supporters maintain the charges are politically motivated.

The tribunal concluded hearings on October 23 after 28 working days, during which 54 witnesses testified about the state’s response to the student-led movement that toppled Ms. Hasina’s government on August 5, 2024.

Ms. Hasina fled Bangladesh the same day amid intensifying unrest and has since been residing in India. Mr. Kamal is also believed to have taken refuge in India. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has sought Ms. Hasina’s extradition, but India has yet to respond.

Security has been heightened nationwide ahead of the verdict. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali on Sunday evening (November 16, 2025) issued shoot-at-sight orders against anyone involved in arson, explosions or attempts to harm police and civilians.

The now-disbanded Awami League called a two-day shutdown ahead of the judgement. Army troops, Border Guard Bangladesh personnel and riot police have been deployed around the ICT-BD complex, with streets in the capital largely deserted amid fears of violence.

Ms. Hasina, Mr. Kamal and Mr. Mamun face five charges, including murder, attempted murder, torture and other inhumane acts. A key charge accuses Ms. Hasina of ordering the “extermination” of protesters. She is also accused of making inflammatory remarks and directing the use of deadly weapons against students.

Additional charges relate to the shooting deaths of six unarmed protesters in Dhaka and surrounding areas.

In interviews with international media and the Indian press, Ms. Hasina has labelled the tribunal a “kangaroo court” run by individuals aligned with her political opponents. In a recent emailed interview to PTI, she said she was willing to stand trial under international supervision “even at the International Criminal Court” in The Hague, alleging that Mr. Yunus avoided such a process because an impartial tribunal would acquit her.

The ICT-BD was originally established to try collaborators of Pakistani forces during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. The Yunus administration later amended its mandate to prosecute leaders of the previous regime, including Ms. Hasina. Most senior Awami League figures are either jailed or on the run.

Fifteen months after leaving capital Dhaka in the midst of an uprising, Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that ‘mistakes’ were “certainly made” by security forces while responding to the ‘disordered situation’ during last year’s student-people uprising. In a written interview to The Hindu, Ms. Hasina who fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2025 said she has her “doubts” on whether the election in Bangladesh would be held in February 2026 saying that even if held, the polls would not be recognised as valid as her party Awami League remains banned. However, Ms. Hasina said that she has not called upon her supporters to boycott the election and cautioned against “yet more violent uprising”.

“Our security personnel on the ground were responding to fast-changing and violent circumstances. Mistakes were certainly made in the way some members of the security forces responded to the violence, but the decisions made by senior government officials were proportionate in nature, made in good faith and intended to minimise the loss of life,” said Ms. Hasina in her response to a question.  

Also read | The evolving political dynamics in volatile Bangladesh

Ms. Hasina’s response came as the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka has been preparing to deliver a verdict on her and several top members of her deposed government. Ironically it was Ms. Hasina who after staging a return to power in 2009 had re-established the ICT to deliver justice for the individuals who had colluded with Pakistan Army in 1971. Ms. Hasina has recently approached the International Criminal Court seeking probe into reported violence carried out by elements that are close to the interim government led by Nobel laureate Prof. Mohammed Yunus. “A guilty verdict is pre-determined, and I will not be surprised when it comes. But the ICT is a sham tribunal controlled by my political enemies, who are intent on destroying the Awami League as a political force. The call for a death sentence serves the same murderous aim,” said Ms. Hasina who reiterated that she “did not resign” before leaving on August 5, 2024.

“To resign as Prime Minister, you have to submit a letter to the President. I never signed such a letter, nor did the President receive one,” she said.

Ms. Hasina accused the interim government of Bangladesh for not being responsive to domestic and international calls for holding election in the past fifteen months saying, “I am not confident that the February elections will go ahead,” and added, “Even if the elections take place, they will not be legitimate if the Awami League remains banned from taking part.”

She said, the interim government is “intent on clinging on to power at all costs”.

“They are not elected, they have no commitment to the principles of public accountability. That, rather than the timing of the poll, is the key issue,” said Ms. Hasina arguing that the ban on Awami League “is damaging for all parties” and emphasised that Awami League will campaign in a “peaceful” manner for holding an inclusive election.

“Let me be clear: I have not called for a boycott. The point I was making was that millions of Awami League voters will not vote at all if they are denied the chance to support their preferred choice,” said Ms. Hasina, explaining, “Whatever happens our campaign will be peaceful. The last thing Bangladesh needs is yet more violent upheaval.” The contest for political power in Bangladesh has sharpened in recent weeks after Mr. Yunus presided over a ceremony where several major political parties signed the July Proclamation, that aims to incorporate a set of guiding principles to govern Bangladesh in the coming years.

The political parties are divided over the path ahead regarding the July Charter with the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami demanding that a referendum should be held on the July Charter ahead of the election so that the election process could be guided by the Charter itself while the biggest political party Bangladesh Nationalist Party demanding that the referendum and the polls should be held together in February. BNP leaders have also said that the interim government does not have the authority to bring in the charter that could alter the constitution of Bangladesh.

Responding to the debate on the July Proclamation, Ms. Hasina said, “The country does not need a new charter. The charter does not reflect the voices of the people of Bangladesh… I am skeptical that the referendum will be democratic in nature.” She also described the July Proclamation as a “dangerous business” that “distorts” Bangladesh’s history which includes the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 1971 Liberation War against the Pakistani military.

“You cannot eradicate history just because it is inconvenient. Our liberation struggle is something Bangladeshis are proud of, not ashamed of,” said Ms. Hasina.

The fifteen month long exile is the longest that Ms. Hasina has undergone since returning to Dhaka in 1981 when she ended her exile in Europe and India of around six years following the assassination of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. However, she blamed the “prevailing political climate” for not returning at present. Ms. Hasina blamed the interim government for the reported growth of extremist movements in Bangladesh. “The fact that Yunus has appointed some extremists to his Cabinet also sends them an encouraging message and, no doubt, practical assistance too,” said Ms. Hasina.

In her observation on the interim government’s outreach to Pakistan, Ms. Hasina said, the people of Bangladesh will “never” forget the atrocities committed by Pakistani military in 1971 and said, “Of course, it makes sense to have a constructive relationship with Pakistan. But it must be measured and balanced, rather than pursued at headlong speed and with total disregard for our most important relationship, which is and always will be our relationship with India.”

Bangladesh announced on Wednesday (November 5, 2025) cash rewards to surrender machine guns, rifles and pistols looted during an uprising last year, hoping to collect hundreds of weapons ahead of key elections.

An estimated 6,000 firearms were stolen from police armouries during the deadly August 2024 unrest that toppled the hardline rule of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

More than 1,300 are still reported as missing, police spokesman AHM Shahadat Hossaine told AFP.

Police issued a list of rewards for their return, ranging from just over $4,000 for a light machine gun to $800 for an assault rifle, and $400 for a shotgun or pistol. Cash would also be paid for ammunition.

“Bangladesh Police guarantee full confidentiality”, Mr. Hossaine said, urging people to hand them in.

Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since Hasina fled into exile last year, and political parties are jostling for power ahead of polls slated for February 2026.

Dhaka-based rights group Odhikar says political violence since the uprising has killed nearly 300 people.

More than 150 others have been killed in mob violence, according to Odhikar.

Investigators, meanwhile, continue to probe a devastating fire that tore through the cargo complex of the country’s main international airport on October 18.

Bushra Islam, a senior official at Biman Bangladesh Airlines, told AFP that a team had found the smashed lock of a vault which had survived the fire — a strongroom used to store arms, as well as valuable items such as gold and diamonds.

Islam said it was not clear “how many arms have gone missing, if any”.

A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a team had inspected the vault after the fire.

“Days later, the vault was found open,” he said.

The government said it had requested foreign experts to help examine the cause of the blaze.