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Bangladesh has expressed strong outrage over fugitive former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's live media interaction in New Delhi, describing the event as an affront to the country's sovereignty and harmful to efforts aimed at strengthening bilateral relations with India.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Bangladesh was "outraged" that the "absconding convicted genocider" Sheikh Hasina had been allowed to speak live to the media while staying in New Delhi. It alleged that Hasina and her associates used the platform to launch "venomous vitriol" against the State of Bangladesh and its people.
The ministry said Dhaka had previously conveyed its concerns to the Government of India, warning that such an event could undermine ongoing efforts to reset bilateral relations. Despite those concerns, the programme was allowed to proceed, prompting Bangladesh to express deep regret.
According to the statement, the media interaction, held on the second anniversary of the July Revolution, constituted "an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh and a grievous insult to the martyrs of the July Revolution."
The foreign ministry also said attempts to deny facts established by the United Nations—including the killing of civilians, among them children, during the July-August 2024 events—amounted to a futile effort to rewrite history.
"The people of Bangladesh had already rejected such heinous attempts in the past and continue to do so now," the statement said.
Reaffirming the spirit of the July Revolution, the ministry stated that the people of Bangladesh had resolved never to return to "the dark days of fascism" and that the country would never become "a client state."
It further asserted that Sheikh Hasina and her associates "will never have a place in the polity of Bangladesh."
Bangladesh also reiterated its commitment to maintaining a constructive, mutually beneficial and forward-looking relationship with India based on sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and national dignity.
However, the ministry expressed regret that Bangladesh's repeated requests for Sheikh Hasina's return under the 2013 Bangladesh-India Extradition Treaty have yet to receive any response.
Instead, it said, allowing her to interact publicly with the media under any pretext has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Bangladeshi people and is detrimental to the development of harmonious relations between Bangladesh and India.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/national/1f190f4b-48e4-6a40-bd96-4124847b3a0f