Lead
Bangladesh has sharply criticized India for allowing ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to address journalists in New Delhi, deepening a rift in bilateral ties that were already under strain. Dhaka accused India of providing a platform to a person it labeled a “convicted genocider” and of undermining efforts to repair relations. The protest came after Hasina, speaking on the second anniversary of the student-led uprising that forced her to flee to India, declared, “Whatever fate awaits me, I will return to my people.”
Coverage Comparison
The Guardian reported that Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said it was “outraged” that Hasina had been permitted to participate in the event, which it described as an “affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh.” The ministry said Hasina and her allies had launched “venomous vitriol” against Bangladesh and its people during the address, and renewed a demand for her extradition. India distanced itself from the event, saying it had no role in organizing it and would not endorse any political views expressed.
The Hindu reported that Bangladesh conveyed its concerns to India through Humayun Kobir, the Foreign Affairs Adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, during a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi in Dhaka. The meeting came after the Foreign Correspondents Club announced the media event featuring an audio message from Hasina. According to the official news agency UNB, Adviser Kobir told the High Commissioner that such activities “could harm the positive progress of bilateral relations,” to which Trivedi assured that the matter would be “duly considered” and that necessary inquiries would be made.
Key Claims
- Sheikh Hasina, who has been based in India since fleeing Dhaka on August 5, 2024, has expressed her desire to return to Bangladesh by the end of the year, as reported by The Hindu.
- Bangladesh has accused India of giving a platform to a “convicted genocider,” a claim carried by The Guardian. Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia on charges of “crimes against humanity,” according to the same report.
- The student-led uprising in 2024 led to Hasina’s flight to India, as reported by The Guardian. Her government had been accused of misusing state institutions to entrench its hold on power and stamp out dissent.
- In her speech, Hasina dismissed the criminal cases against her as politically motivated and accused Bangladesh’s new government, led by Tarique Rahman, of economic mismanagement, as reported by The Guardian.
- Bangladesh’s foreign ministry called the event an “affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh” and renewed its request for India to extradite Hasina, according to The Guardian.
- India has assured Bangladesh it will consider its concerns about Hasina’s activities, as reported by The Hindu. The Indian High Commission said the discussion focused on “mutual interests” and “mutual benefits.”