In response to the summoning of India’s top diplomat in Dhaka over former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s speeches, New Delhi has issued a strong diplomatic reply to Muhammad Yunus’s interim government, taking similar measures.
India stated, “It is very unfortunate that the Bangladesh government’s regular statements continuously portray India in a negative light, blaming us for issues related to internal governance. In reality, these statements themselves are responsible for the prevailing negative situation.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs clarified that “India has no role” in Sheikh Hasina’s speeches and warned that involving Delhi in this matter would not yield any “positive” outcomes.
On Friday afternoon, India’s Ministry of External Affairs conveyed this stance by summoning Bangladesh’s acting High Commissioner, Nurul Islam.
Later, India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated in a press release, “India seeks a positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh, as has been reiterated in recent high-level meetings.”
Following a student-led uprising, Sheikh Hasina, the president of the Awami League, stepped down from power on August 5 last year and moved to India. The Bangladesh government has requested her extradition on charges of “genocide” during the crackdown on protests, but India has not responded to the request.
Sheikh Hasina’s online speeches from India sparked violent reactions in Bangladesh. In Dhaka, a publicly announced gathering led to the demolition of Bangabandhu’s house at Dhanmondi 32, and her residence, Sudha Sadan, was set on fire. Across the country, Awami League leaders’ homes and businesses were vandalized and looted.
Although the Bangladesh government called for an end to such attacks, it blamed Sheikh Hasina for the unrest. The Chief Adviser’s Office stated, “Her provocative statements against the July uprising, made while in exile in India, have triggered deep public outrage, which is now manifesting on the streets.”
On Thursday, Dhaka summoned India’s top diplomat and conveyed the same message through the Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Tauhid Hossain told reporters, “We have formally requested India to restrain Sheikh Hasina from making such statements, as they are working against Bangladesh. We have not received any response yet.
“Given their recent actions, we have submitted another protest note today (Wednesday). Since the High Commissioner is currently unavailable, we handed it over to the acting High Commissioner. Once again, we have requested that she be restrained.”
In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, *”The remarks attributed to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are her personal views, and India has no role in them. Associating these remarks with the Indian government’s position will not contribute positively to bilateral relations.
“While the Indian government strives for a mutually beneficial relationship, we hope Bangladesh will also adopt a similar approach rather than escalating tensions.”
Earlier, on Thursday night, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement describing the attack and vandalism at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house in Dhanmondi 32 as “unfortunate.”