Bangladesh Reacts to Sheikh Hasina's Remarks in New Delhi

PTI, August 6, 2026, Dhaka / New Delhi: Even as former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday declared that she was determined to return home in December to put the country on the "right track" by restoring democracy, notwithstanding the risk of facing imprisonment or a death sentence, Dhaka expressed outrage over Sheikh Hasina's media interaction in New Delhi, saying the event had hurt the sentiments of its people and could adversely affect efforts to improve bilateral ties with India.

Participants in the media interaction were unable to see the former Prime Minister and heard only her voice.

Reacting to the press conference, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, said Bangladesh was "outraged" that the "absconding convicted" Hasina was allowed to engage in a live interaction with the media in New Delhi.

The Ministry said it had conveyed its concerns to the Government of India in advance about the "likely ramifications" of the event for bilateral relations, but the interaction was allowed to take place.

The statement said Bangladesh desired to maintain a "constructive, mutually beneficial, and forward-looking relationship with India based on sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and national dignity".

On the contrary, it said, permitting Hasina to publicly interact with the media had hurt public sentiment in Bangladesh and was "detrimental to the development of harmonious bilateral relations" between the two neighbours.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed disappointment that its requests seeking Hasina's return under the India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty, signed in 2013, had not yet received a response.

Last November, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka for alleged "crimes against humanity" over her government's brutal crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.

Since the verdict, Dhaka had been urging New Delhi to extradite her to face the law.

In her comments, Hasina delved into the prevailing political environment in her country and the challenges facing its people, asserting that her return is not about power but to put Bangladesh back on the track of development, secularism and prosperity.

"Whatever fate awaits me, I will return to my people. I cannot stay away while my beloved countrymen are suffering," she said at the media interaction held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club.

"I may be detained, I may be sent to prison, they may try to enforce verdicts issued in fabricated cases. But fear cannot decide my duty to the people. My life moved beyond calculations of personal safety long ago.

"In 1975, I lost my family. I spent six years in exile. After returning home, I fought against military rule, dictatorship, assassination attempts and political conspiracies," she said.

The former Prime Minister also ruled out any back-channel negotiations with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government on her return.

"I am not worried about my own future. I am worried about the future of Bangladesh. I want to return because the people deserve security, development, prosperity and peace," she added.

Hasina said that although she was "forced away" from her country, she was "never separated" from its people.

Hasina alleged that the protests in Bangladesh in July and August 2024 that resulted in the collapse of her government were not a peaceful student movement.

She alleged that "organised groups" worked to turn the movement into a "violent political instrument".

"It was not simply a spontaneous student protest. There was no visible or responsible leadership. Instructions were given invisibly. It was organised and used to create a path to power outside the ballot box," Hasina alleged.

The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry's statement described Hasina's remarks from India as an "affront" to Bangladesh's sovereignty and an insult to those who lost their lives during the July Revolution.

The ministry also rejected Hasina's comments on the July-August 2024 violence, alleging that they sought to deny findings documented by the United Nations regarding civilian casualties during the unrest.

During her virtual media interaction, Hasina alleged that the protests in Bangladesh in July and August 2024 that resulted in the collapse of her government were not a peaceful student movement.

She alleged that "organised groups" worked to turn the movement into a "violent political instrument".

"It was not simply a spontaneous student protest. There was no visible or responsible leadership. Instructions were given invisibly. It was organised and used to create a path to power outside the ballot box," Hasina alleged.

Reiterating its commitment to the ideals of the July Revolution, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said the people of Bangladesh have rejected any attempt to return to what it described as "the dark days of fascism".

According to a February 2025 UN rights office report, up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year, the period dubbed the ‘July Uprising’, as Hasina's government ordered a security crackdown on protesters.