Dhaka: The government and people of Bangladesh have expressed surprise and shock that fugitive Sheikh Hasina, convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal for crimes against humanity, was permitted to make a statement at a public event in New Delhi on January 23, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the MoFA stated that Hasina openly called for the removal of the government of Bangladesh and issued blatant incitements to her party loyalists and the general public to carry out acts of terror to derail the upcoming general elections in Bangladesh. The interim government remarked that the “unabashed incitements by Awami League’s leadership yet again demonstrated why the interim government had to ban its activities.”
Bangladesh has expressed its intent to hold the Awami League responsible for any incidents of violence and terror in the lead-up to the elections and on election day, vowing to take appropriate actions to thwart its conspiracies. The Ministry expressed deep grievance over India’s lack of action on its obligations under the bilateral extradition agreement to hand over Sheikh Hasina, despite repeated requests by the Bangladesh government. Instead, she has been allowed to make such ‘inciteful’ pronouncements from Indian soil, posing a threat to Bangladesh’s democratic transition and peace and security.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the event’s occurrence in the Indian capital, stating that allowing a convicted individual to deliver a hate speech contravenes the norms of inter-State relations, including respect for sovereignty, non-interference, and good neighborliness. The ministry emphasized that this act is a clear affront to the people and government of Bangladesh.
The statement warned that this incident sets a dangerous precedent for the future of Bangladesh-India relations, potentially impairing the ability of future elected officials in Bangladesh to engage in and nurture mutually beneficial bilateral relations with India.