Bangladesh-India relations have faced fresh strain after Dhaka urged Delhi to take urgent measures to prevent any “anti-Bangladesh activities” allegedly carried out by fugitive Awami League leaders and activists, while India denied having any knowledge of such developments.
The interim government called on India to take urgent measures to prevent any Bangladeshi nationals residing there from engaging in activities harmful to Bangladesh’s interests, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.
The interim government also urged the Indian government not to permit or support any such activities in any manner and called for the immediate closure of the political offices of the “banned” Awami League on Indian soil, the statement reads.
However, denying the allegations, Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs, India, said Delhi is not aware of any anti-Bangladesh activities by purported members of the Awami League in India or of any action that is contrary to Indian law.
“The government does not allow political activities against other countries to be carried out from Indian soil,” he said in response to media queries on the press statement issued by the interim government of Bangladesh.
Jaiswal said the press statement by the interim government of Bangladesh is thus “misplaced.”
He also reiterated that India expects “free, fair, and inclusive” elections to be held at the earliest in Bangladesh to ascertain the will and mandate of the people.
This development comes against the backdrop of growing anti-Bangladesh activities undertaken by the leadership of the Bangladesh Awami League while being based on Indian soil, Dhaka claimed.
Many senior leaders of the party, absconding in several criminal cases in Bangladesh for grievous crimes committed against humanity, remain on Indian territory, said the interim government.
Earlier, on 21 July 2025 evening, under the guise of an NGO, some of the senior leaders of the Awami League planned to hold a public outreach at the Delhi Press Club and eventually distributed booklets among the attending members of the press.
To date, the interim government said, several reports in Indian media confirm increasing overtures by the party while on Indian soil.
“Any form of political activity campaigning against the interests of Bangladesh by Bangladeshi nationals, particularly by the absconding leaders/activists of a banned political party, staying on Indian soil, legally or illegally, including the establishment of offices, is an unambiguous affront against the people and state of Bangladesh,” said the government in its statement.
This development also risks undermining the good-neighbourly relations with India, driven by mutual trust and respect, and has serious implications for the political transformation underway in Bangladesh, Dhaka said.
“This may also trigger public sentiment in Bangladesh, which may, in turn, impact the ongoing efforts of the two countries in further enhancing the relationship between the two closest neighbours,” the statement said.