New Delhi (India) August 7: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Friday that the Government of India did not participate or endorse any views expressed by former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the media interaction she held on Aug. 5.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "The government had no role to play in what was an event by a private media entity, and it does not endorse anything said at the forum, especially with regard to the duly constituted government of Bangladesh.”
"We constantly monitor activities in our region and neighbourhood, and we assess everything from the perspective of our national security. We continue to closely monitor developments in our neighbourhood. Keeping our national security interests in mind, we take whatever measures are necessary to safeguard those interests," he added.
Bangladesh Raises Diplomatic Objections
On Thursday, Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly criticized the incident and said New Delhi letting Hasina talk to media from Indian soil, against Dhaka's reservations, hurts its people and bilateral relations. The MEA statement termed the event as an affront to Bangladesh's sovereignty and stated its plea for her extradition.
India has refused to respond to any allegations leveled till now, reiterating that the event was privately organised and its participation could not be equated with endorsing any view expressed there.
Hasina Vows Return Despite Death Sentence
During the media conference on Wednesday, Hasina said she was adamant to return to Bangladesh in December to keep the country on the right track and restore democracy, regardless of the risk of going to jail or the death penalty.
Hasina gave her first public media address since fleeing to India following a mass protest on Aug 5, 2024 in an audio-only virtual press conference, noting New Delhi has always supported Dhaka in difficult times and requested international community to help the people of Bangladesh struggle for democracy, justice and peace, stressing that Bangladesh's chaos will also affect regional peace, security, trade and development.
Hasina's Son Alleges Political Crisis In Bangladesh
According to Hasina, protests that led to her fall did not happen overnight, but it was planned by an organised campaign. A special court in Dhaka, in absentia, handed Hasina a death sentence in November for human rights abuses related to the crackdown in 2024, asking India to extradite her according to a 2013 extradition pact.
Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, claimed at her media conference that "political assassinations" had been legalised in the country since August 2024. He described Bangladesh as a "failed state" and said it had become "another Pakistan."