Bangladesh’s government has reacted with outrage to Sheikh Hasina’s audio-only virtual press conference held in New Delhi on Wednesday, calling it an affront to the country’s sovereignty and an insult to those killed during the 2024 uprising that ousted her. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the event, held on the second anniversary of the July Revolution, deeply hurt the sentiments of the Bangladeshi people.
The ministry said it had warned New Delhi in advance about the likely consequences of allowing the event to proceed.
“Dhaka deeply regrets that in spite of concerns conveyed a priori to the Government of India… this public event was permitted to be held.”
“Absconding Convicted Genocider,” Ministry Says
In sharply worded language, the ministry described Hasina as an “absconding convicted genocider” and accused her of directing “venomous vitriol” at Bangladesh and its people during the address. Officials said Hasina used the platform to deny facts already established by the United Nations regarding the killing of civilians, including children, during the July-August 2024 crackdown.
A UN human rights office report found that up to 1,400 people were killed between mid-July and mid-August 2024, as Hasina’s government ordered a security crackdown on protesters demanding reform of civil service job quotas, a movement that snowballed into a mass uprising against her 15-year rule.
Extradition Request Renewed, Again Unanswered
Dhaka used the occasion to reiterate its demand for Hasina’s return under the 2013 India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty, noting that repeated requests to New Delhi have gone unanswered.
“Allowing her the opportunity to openly interact with the media under any pretext is deeply hurtful to our people’s sentiment and detrimental to the development of harmonious bilateral relations.”
The ministry framed continued Indian silence on extradition, paired with tacit tolerance of Hasina’s public statements, as incompatible with any genuine effort to repair ties between the two neighbours.
A Pattern of Diplomatic Friction
Wednesday’s rebuke is the latest in a string of formal protests Dhaka has lodged with New Delhi since Hasina fled to India in August 2024. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has previously summoned India’s acting high commissioner over Hasina’s virtual addresses to supporters, including one that preceded the destruction of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic Dhanmondi residence, and objected to her comments as “provocative” and “hostile acts” on multiple prior occasions.
India, for its part, has generally maintained that Hasina’s remarks reflect her own views rather than New Delhi’s official position, while stopping short of committing to extradite her or restrict her public statements from Indian soil.
Dhaka Reasserts Its Independence
The Foreign Ministry’s statement went beyond objecting to the press conference itself, using the moment to reassert Bangladesh’s political trajectory since Hasina’s ouster.
“Our nation will never again go back to the dark days of fascism, and Bangladesh will never be a client State.”
At the same time, the ministry said Dhaka remains committed to a “constructive, mutually beneficial and forward-looking relationship” with India, grounded in sovereign equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, signalling that Bangladesh wants to keep the door open to normalised ties even as it presses its objections.
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What Comes Next
The latest flashpoint comes just as Hasina used the same press conference to announce plans to return to Bangladesh in December, despite facing a death sentence for crimes against humanity. With no response yet from New Delhi on extradition and Hasina signalling she does not intend to stay quiet in exile, the diplomatic strain between the two countries shows little sign of easing in the months ahead.
Summary: Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denounced Sheikh Hasina’s virtual press conference from New Delhi as an affront to national sovereignty, accusing India of permitting the event despite advance warnings about its impact on bilateral ties. Dhaka renewed its extradition demand as the diplomatic rift between the two countries deepens.
