Sheikh Hasina Press Conference in India: Bangladesh Government Gets Upset
Sheikh Hasina Press Conference in India: On August 5, 2026, the Bangladesh government was very upset about a press conference in New Delhi held by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Dhaka was disappointed that the press conference took place, despite having warned the Indian government that it could hurt efforts to improve relations.
Bangladesh also said it has not received any response to its repeated requests for Ms Hasina's extradition.
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Sheikh Hasina Press Conference in India: Plans to Return to Bangladesh in December
Sheikh Hasina Latest News: In her first public appearance since leaving for India on August 5, 2024, after major protests, Ms Hasina spoke at a virtual press conference where only her voice was heard.
She said she plans to return to Bangladesh in December to help lead the country.
People at the press conference could not see Ms Hasina. They only heard her voice.
The Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry said it had warned the Indian government in advance about potential effects on relations, but the press conference still took place.
Hasina's Press Meet in India Draws Dhaka's Protest, Extradition Issue Resurfaces
Sheikh Hasina's Press Conference in India: According to the statement, Bangladesh aims to maintain a positive, forward-looking relationship with India, grounded in sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and national dignity.
Sheikh Hasina press conference in India: However, the ministry said that letting Ms Hasina speak to the media upset people in Bangladesh and made it harder to improve relations between the two countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said it was disappointed that its requests for Ms Hasina's return under the 2013 India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty have not been answered.
Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina:
Sheikh Hasina press conference in India: Ms Hasina faces charges in Dhaka for alleged crimes against humanity over her government's crackdown on student-led protests.
Since the verdict, the Bangladeshi government has asked India to send Ms Hasina back to face legal proceedings.
Bangladesh-India Relations: Sheikh Hasina's Son Warns India, Says Bangladesh Is Becoming 'Another Pakistan'
Sheikh Hasina's Latest Update: Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh and a senior member of the Awami League, warns that Bangladesh has become a failed state and may become a base for regional terrorism unless the international community takes action.
On Wednesday, Joy gave a videoed speech from Maryland, USA, to the Foreign Correspondents' Club in New Delhi and said that foreign intelligence agencies, particularly Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), were operating freely in Bangladesh.
He stated that hundreds of terrorists who had been arrested during the Awami League government's rule had been set free.
He also asserted that banned organisations such as Hizb ut-Tahrir were marching openly and that people associated with al-Qaeda had delivered speeches at public rallies.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy Refers to Bangladesh as ‘Another Pakistan’
He referred to Bangladesh as "another Pakistan" situated on India's eastern border. Joy maintained that the country now presented a serious security problem and cautioned that these developments were a direct concern for both India and the international community.
He also cautioned that should the situation not be dealt with, Bangladesh might become the source of the next wave of global terrorists.
Joy called on the Indian media to keep reporting on developments in Bangladesh, not just from time to time.
He mentioned the most recent parliamentary elections, in which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, secured a clear majority and therefore formed a government following Muhammad Yunus's interim administration.
Sheikh Hasina's Son Questions Bangladesh Election, Challenges 2024 Protest Death Count
The Awami League was prevented by Yunus's caretaker government from engaging in political activity, was excluded from the election, and is still not permitted to engage in politics.
Joy cited this as one of the main reasons why he thinks the election was not fully representative.
He also cast doubt on the number of deaths during the July-August 2024 protests, which resulted in Hasina's removal, noting that there was a difference of around 600 between the United Nations' estimate (approximately 1,400) and the figure given by the Bangladeshi government (about 800).
He stated that the UN had not responded to the repeated requests from Awami League lawyers for the names associated with the higher estimate.
Hasina's Son Questions Bangladesh's 'Indemnity Bill', Alleges Political Persecution
Joy also objected to what he referred to as an "Indemnity Bill", which had been passed during the Yunus administration and was subsequently approved by the BNP government.
He stated that this law granted complete immunity to protesters, even in instances where police officers, civilians, and members of the Awami League had died, thus making it impossible to prosecute those responsible.
He went on to say that thousands of members of the Awami League and their supporters, including some elderly former officials, had been detained for long periods without being tried or given bail, with some of them allegedly dying in custody in what he called extrajudicial killings.
Joy Claims Indian Media Were Pressured Ahead of Bangladesh Briefing
Joy asserted that members of the Awami League were still being targeted and killed outside of prison every few weeks without any intervention by the police.
He also said that journalists, editors, and media owners who were regarded as sympathetic to the Awami League had been imprisoned for over two years.
Furthermore, he claimed that intelligence officials had visited media organisations in India before Wednesday's event to discourage them from covering the story.
Sheikh Hasina's Son Warns Bangladesh Faces Economic Collapse, Questions Fairness of Future Elections
Joy also cautions that Bangladesh's economy, which is currently in a difficult situation, might completely break down as a result of the mismanagement which he has pointed out.
He has stated that the country's political course, encompassing the upcoming elections, will still tend to benefit the party in power.
The claims made by Joy represent the Awami League's version of events following Hasina's August 2024 ouster and have not been independently verified.
The BNP-led government, Muhammad Yunus's previous interim administration, and the Bangladeshi authorities have not yet replied to the specific allegations made at the event on Wednesday, and they also dispute the Awami League's general account of the country's political situation.
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