Bangladesh has formally requested India to send back former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India following her ousting on August 5 after a student-led movement.
The request was made through a “note verbale” to the Indian government, according to Touhid Hossain, the Foreign Affairs Adviser of Bangladesh’s Interim government, as reported by local media outlets. Hossain confirmed the submission of the note verbale, seeking the return of the 76-year-old leader.
Hasina, who had been in power for over a decade, was removed from office after weeks of student-led protests and violent clashes that resulted in over 600 deaths. In the wake of her ouster, she fled to India, and a new interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was established in Bangladesh.
In a recent statement made on December 9, Hasina accused Yunus, the Chief Adviser to the interim government, of orchestrating the student protests that led to her removal. She described the protests as a “meticulously designed” effort to topple her administration.
Speaking at a virtual meeting of the United Kingdom Awami League, Hasina claimed that despite the demands of the protesters being met, unrest continued, implying a deeper conspiracy to remove her from power.
Hasina specifically pointed to Yunus, accusing him of being the “mastermind” behind the protests that started on July 7, 2024. She argued that the protests, which she claims were not student-initiated, were part of a well-planned strategy to remove her from office, even after her government addressed the protesters’ demands.
The ousted leader also voiced criticism against the interim government’s actions, describing it as “fascist” and accusing it of depriving the people of Bangladesh of their fundamental rights. She said, “Today, Bangladesh is going through a tough time. Under a fascist government, the people of Bangladesh have been deprived of their rights. The whole of Bangladesh is burning… Today, Bangladesh is being destroyed.”
Hasina also referenced the arrest of former ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was detained on alleged sedition charges. She criticized the government for preventing Das from having legal representation, calling it a glaring example of the country’s deteriorating justice system.
“They arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das and said there couldn’t be any kind of lawyer defending him. What kind of justice is this?…This proves that Bangladesh doesn’t have law and order,” she added.
(Inputs from ANI)
