Bangladesh has expressed deep anguish and strong displeasure over the decision to allow ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina – who has been convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for crimes against humanity – to make a public statement at an event held in New Delhi on Friday.
In a strongly worded press release issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Dhaka views the event as a clear violation of the norms governing inter-State relations. The government believes that permitting Hasina to speak publicly from Indian soil, despite her conviction and Bangladesh’s repeated extradition requests, undermines the principles of sovereignty, non-interference, and good neighbourliness.
The ministry noted that India has yet to act on its obligations under the bilateral extradition agreement to hand over Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh.
“Instead, she has been allowed to issue inflammatory and inciteful statements from Indian territory,” the statement said, adding that such actions pose a direct threat to Bangladesh’s democratic transition, as well as to peace and security in the country.
According to the foreign ministry, Hasina used the New Delhi event to openly call for the removal of the current government of Bangladesh and issued what it described as blatant incitements to her party loyalists and the general public to engage in acts of violence and terror.
The ministry warned that such statements were aimed at derailing the country’s upcoming general elections.
“Allowing a convicted mass murderer to openly deliver hate speech from the capital of a neighbouring country constitutes a clear affront to the people and the government of Bangladesh,” the statement said. It added that the move sets a dangerous precedent and could seriously impair the ability of any future elected government in Bangladesh to engage constructively with India and nurture mutually beneficial bilateral relations.
The ministry further said that the remarks made at the event once again highlighted why the interim government was compelled to ban the activities of the Awami League. The “unabashed incitements” by the party’s leadership, it said, demonstrate a continued willingness to destabilise the country through violence.
Bangladesh warned that it would hold the Awami League fully responsible for any acts of violence or terror committed in the run-up to the elections or on polling day.
“The government will take all necessary and appropriate measures to foil such conspiracies and ensure the safety, security, and democratic rights of the people,” the statement concluded.
