Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of deliberately stoking anti-India sentiment, empowering extremist elements and weakening law and order, saying the current strain in India-Bangladesh relations is “entirely of Yunus’s making”.
In an email interview with ANI, Hasina said hostility towards India was being “manufactured by extremists who have been emboldened by the Yunus regime”, and asserted that New Delhi’s concerns over the safety of its diplomats and missions were justified.
“This hostility is being manufactured by extremists who have been emboldened by the Yunus regime. These are the same actors who marched on the Indian embassy, attacked media offices, target minorities with impunity and forced my family and me to flee for our lives,” Hasina said.
She alleged that the interim government has given patronage to such elements. “Yunus has placed such figures in positions of power and released convicted terrorists from prison. A responsible government would protect diplomatic missions and prosecute those who threaten them. Instead, Yunus grants immunity to hooligans and calls them warriors,” she added.
Hasina said the deterioration in bilateral ties stems from the interim government’s actions and rhetoric. “The strain you are witnessing is entirely of Yunus’s making. His government issues hostile statements against India, fails to protect religious minorities, and allows extremists to dictate foreign policy, then expresses surprise when tensions rise,” she said.
Emphasising the depth of bilateral ties, she said, “India has been Bangladesh’s most steadfast friend and partner for decades. The ties between our nations are deep and fundamental; they will outlast any temporary government.” She expressed confidence that relations would stabilise once “legitimate governance is restored”.
Her remarks come amid heightened tensions following violent protests in Bangladesh, including demonstrations outside Indian diplomatic missions and attacks on minorities. India recently summoned the Bangladeshi envoy in New Delhi over security concerns linked to threats against Indian missions.
Referring to the killing of Inqilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi and the lynching of a Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, Hasina said these incidents reflected a breakdown of law and order under the interim administration. “Violence has become the norm while the interim government either denies it or is powerless to stop it. When you cannot maintain basic order within your borders, your credibility on the international stage collapses,” she said, adding that India “sees the chaos and the persecution of minorities”.
Hasina also criticised remarks by some Bangladeshi leaders referencing India’s Siliguri Corridor, calling them “dangerous and irresponsible”. “No serious leader would threaten a neighbour upon whom Bangladesh depends for trade, transit and regional stability,” she said, adding that such views do not represent the Bangladeshi people.
On foreign policy, Hasina said Yunus has “no mandate” to realign Bangladesh’s external relations. “He was not elected and has no right to make strategic decisions that could impact generations. Once Bangladeshis can vote freely again, our foreign policy will return to serving our national interests,” she said, reiterating that ties with India would endure beyond the interim government.
Hasina, who has been staying in India since her government was ousted following a student-led uprising last year, thanked New Delhi for its continued support. She said she was “grateful for the solidarity that India continues to show” and maintained that she would return to Bangladesh only when there is a legitimate government and an independent judiciary.
(ANI)
