Overview
- Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said it was “surprised and shocked” India allowed Sheikh Hasina’s public address, calling the move a “dangerous precedent” that could “seriously impair” bilateral relations.
- Hasina delivered a pre-recorded audio message on January 23 at New Delhi’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club, her first public address since fleeing in 2024, just weeks before Bangladesh’s February 12 election.
- Dhaka accused Hasina of urging the removal of the interim government and issuing incitements, and warned it would hold the Awami League responsible for any election-period violence.
- Bangladesh reiterated pending extradition requests for Hasina and complained India has not acted on them, while Indian officials have characterized her stay as a personal decision, according to local reports.
- Hasina has lived in India since August 2024 and was sentenced to death in absentia by a Dhaka court in November; her Awami League is barred from contesting the upcoming vote after its registration was suspended.