Dhaka, 06 August (H.S.): Bangladesh has expressed strong displeasure with India over allowing ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to hold a live interaction with the media in India, saying the move has hurt the sentiments of the Bangladeshi people and undermined efforts to rebuild bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.

According to the Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Dhaka had conveyed its concerns to India in advance, warning that such an event could weaken ongoing efforts to restore normal diplomatic ties.

The ministry said, Bangladesh is deeply aggrieved that fugitive and convicted perpetrator of genocide Sheikh Hasina was allowed to engage in a live interaction with the media in India on Wednesday evening. It alleged that Hasina and her associates used the platform to make statements against Bangladesh.

The ministry also expressed regret that the event was permitted despite Bangladesh's earlier concerns and the potential diplomatic consequences that had been highlighted to the Indian government.

According to the statement, the media interaction, held on the second anniversary of the July Revolution, amounted to an affront to Bangladesh's sovereignty and insulted those who lost their lives during the July 2024 movement. It also accused Hasina of rejecting the findings of a United Nations report on the violence that occurred during July and August 2024.

The ministry further stated that the people of Bangladesh remain committed to the ideals of the July Revolution.

Reiterating Dhaka's position on bilateral ties, the ministry said Bangladesh remains committed to maintaining constructive, mutually beneficial and forward-looking relations with India based on sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and respect for national dignity.

However, it noted that Bangladesh has yet to receive any response from India to its repeated requests for Sheikh Hasina's extradition under the Bangladesh-India Extradition Treaty signed in 2013.

Relations between Dhaka and India have remained strained since the collapse of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government in August 2024. Hasina has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh following the student-led mass protests that led to her ouster.

The Bangladeshi government has repeatedly sought her return to face legal proceedings, citing the bilateral extradition treaty. Dhaka has also, on several occasions, conveyed its concerns to India over Hasina's public statements while residing in India.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar