The Government of Bangladesh has publicly expressed its disapproval of India’s decision to permit former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to make a public address in New Delhi. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka stated that both the Bangladeshi government and the wider public were “surprised” and “shocked” that such an event was allowed to occur on Indian soil. The ministry warned that this action could “seriously impair bilateral relations” between the two nations, calling it a “dangerous precedent” that undermined mutual trust.
Sheikh Hasina, who served as Prime Minister of Bangladesh for over 15 years before being removed from office in August 2024 amid student-led unrest, is currently living in India. She has remained in exile since the interim government, led by economist and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, assumed power under emergency provisions. In November 2025, Hasina was tried in absentia by a Dhaka court and sentenced to death on charges including incitement, failure to prevent atrocities, and issuing lethal orders.
India has rejected Dhaka’s repeated extradition requests and maintained that Hasina’s stay in the country is voluntary and not part of any government-sponsored political agenda. Indian officials have reiterated that she is staying in India on her own accord, and that New Delhi views it as a personal matter.
On January 23, 2026, Sheikh Hasina delivered her first public address since going into exile. The message was broadcast via audio at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi. In the address, she accused the interim administration of suppressing democracy and called the Yunus-led government illegal. Hasina argued that free and fair elections in Bangladesh would not be possible under the current leadership, stating that only the removal of the “Yunus clique” could restore democratic normalcy.
How has Sheikh Hasina framed the interim government and its leadership under Muhammad Yunus?
In her address, Sheikh Hasina delivered a forceful indictment of the current political establishment in Bangladesh. She claimed the administration had “ravaged the homeland” with what she described as an “onslaught of extremist communal forces” and foreign-backed actors. These remarks appeared to echo her longstanding narrative that political Islamists and foreign-funded organizations have destabilized Bangladesh’s secular fabric. Although she did not name specific governments, Hasina accused unnamed foreign perpetrators of interfering in Bangladesh’s democratic trajectory.
Hasina also accused Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus of betraying the country’s interests and characterized him as a “corrupt, power-hungry traitor.” Her choice of language closely resembled earlier accusations she had made against Yunus dating back to their public feud over Grameen Bank and civil society reforms during her tenure.
The speech carried strong nationalist undertones, referencing her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the 1971 Liberation War. She positioned her political exile as part of a broader national crisis, stating that the ideals of the war were under siege and that the country’s sovereignty was in danger from internal and external threats.
Why has Dhaka’s reaction been unusually strong in diplomatic terms?
The official response from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not limit itself to a protest over Hasina’s presence in India. The language in the government’s statement escalated significantly, referring to Hasina as a “mass murderer” and explicitly framing her remarks as “hate speech.” Dhaka said the event constituted “a clear affront to the people and the Government of Bangladesh” and questioned how Indian authorities could permit a fugitive sentenced to death to make a politically charged address from Indian territory.
This unusually forceful language reflects the deepening distrust between the current interim government in Dhaka and the former ruling party. It also illustrates Bangladesh’s concern that the event may have been interpreted internationally as a tacit endorsement of Hasina’s return to political life.
In formal diplomatic terms, such public expressions of outrage are rare in South Asia unless there is a serious breakdown in backchannel coordination. Analysts have noted that such sharp rhetoric from Dhaka, paired with a lack of immediate reciprocation from New Delhi, suggests that bilateral communication may be strained or at an impasse.
How is India navigating the political and legal sensitivities of Hasina’s presence?
India has not formally commented on Sheikh Hasina’s speech, but its broader position has remained consistent. The Ministry of External Affairs has previously stated that India supports a stable, inclusive, and democratic Bangladesh. New Delhi has neither confirmed nor denied Hasina’s political activity during her stay, framing it as an internal matter for Bangladesh.
The Indian government’s refusal to extradite Hasina could be seen as consistent with past positions on asylum and political refugees. However, the timing and visibility of Hasina’s address in the capital, just weeks before Bangladesh’s February 12, 2026, general election, have complicated optics for India. The event has been widely interpreted in Dhaka as having symbolic value, even if the Indian state was not officially involved.
By avoiding direct intervention, India may be attempting to maintain plausible deniability while still preserving engagement with all major political actors in Bangladesh. However, the location of the speech—Delhi’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia—has ensured high visibility both domestically and internationally.
What are the broader implications for Bangladesh–India relations ahead of elections?
Bangladesh’s 2026 general election is the first national poll since the collapse of Hasina’s administration in 2024. The interim government, under Muhammad Yunus, is constitutionally tasked with organizing a credible electoral process. However, with Hasina’s Awami League barred from participation and several opposition leaders still in detention or exile, the legitimacy of the upcoming election remains a source of contention.
Sheikh Hasina’s public re-entry into the political discourse from India has added a new layer of complexity. The interim government’s reaction suggests deep concern that her message could embolden loyalists inside Bangladesh and influence international perceptions of the transitional process.
India’s noncommittal stance may preserve flexibility in the short term but could become a flashpoint if Bangladesh’s leadership perceives it as foreign interference or political sheltering. Moreover, any increase in instability within Bangladesh risks affecting regional migration, trade, and counterterrorism cooperation—areas where India has invested significant strategic capital.
The next few weeks are likely to be closely monitored by international observers, especially regional partners such as China, the United States, and the Gulf countries, who maintain strong bilateral ties with both New Delhi and Dhaka.
Key takeaways on Bangladesh’s protest over India allowing Sheikh Hasina’s public address in New Delhi
- The Government of Bangladesh formally objected to India permitting former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to deliver a public address from New Delhi, stating that the decision surprised and shocked both the government and the public in Bangladesh.
- Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that allowing Sheikh Hasina’s speech on Indian soil could seriously impair bilateral relations and described the episode as setting a dangerous diplomatic precedent.
- Sheikh Hasina has been residing in India since August 2024 after fleeing Bangladesh following student-led protests, and she has been sentenced to death in absentia by a Dhaka court on charges including incitement and failure to prevent atrocities.
- Bangladesh has requested Sheikh Hasina’s extradition from India, while Indian authorities have maintained that her stay is a personal decision and have not acted on the extradition request.
- The public address, delivered via an audio message at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi, sharply criticised the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus and came weeks ahead of Bangladesh’s scheduled general election.
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