India’s External Affairs ministry said that Dhaka’s continued statements portraying India in a negative light were “regrettable” and detrimental to bilateral ties.
New Delhi’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Bangladesh’s Acting High Commissioner, Md. Nural Islam, on Friday, raising concerns over repeated negative remarks by Bangladeshi authorities regarding India.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India seeks a “positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial” relationship with Bangladesh, as reiterated in recent high-level meetings. However, he noted that Dhaka’s continued statements portraying India in a negative light were “regrettable” and detrimental to bilateral ties.
“Comments attributed to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are made in her personal capacity, and India has no role in them. Linking these remarks to the Indian government’s position will not contribute positively to our relations,” Jaiswal said.
The diplomatic row follows Bangladesh’s formal protest over remarks made by the exiled former prime minister, particularly regarding the reported vandalism of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence. Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed Hasina’s statements as “false and fabricated” and accused her of “hostile acts” against the country while in exile in India.
The ministry also urged India to prevent Hasina from making further remarks, stressing that such actions were harming bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh is witnessing a surge in violence, with large-scale attacks on properties linked to Hasina and her Awami League party. Murals of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been defaced in multiple districts, and senior party leaders’ residences have been torched.
In Dhaka, the home of Awami League Presidium Member Sheikh Selim was set on fire, while in Noakhali’s Companiganj, protesters ransacked and burned the residence of Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader. The escalating unrest follows Hasina’s recent online address, which sparked fresh demonstrations.
Sheikh Hasina, 77, fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, following a massive student-led uprising that ended her 16-year rule. She has since been residing in India. Her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is regarded as Bangladesh’s founding leader, but growing dissatisfaction with Hasina’s leadership has led to increasing opposition to his legacy.
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has now issued arrest warrants against Hasina and several of her former ministers and officials for alleged “crimes against humanity and genocide.”
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