Dhaka asks Delhi to curb Hasina’s political activities

Bangladesh has conveyed strong dissatisfaction to the Indian government over ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s frequent political statements from India, urging Delhi to prevent such activities, a foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Thursday.

“Since fleeing the country on August 5, former Prime Minister Hasina has been residing in India and continuously issuing political statements from there. We have formally expressed our government’s concerns to the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka,” said Toufique Hasan, Director General of the Public Diplomacy Wing, at a weekly press briefing.

Hasan noted that the Indian High Commissioner assured Bangladesh that he would communicate these concerns to his government.

In response to questions on the possibility of Hasina’s repatriation under the International Crimes Tribunal, Hasan stated that the foreign ministry had not yet received any formal requests from relevant authorities. 

“If we receive directives from the appropriate ministry, we will take necessary actions to facilitate her return,” he added.

Addressing the recent challenges with Indian visa processing for Bangladeshis, Hasan explained that India had temporarily halted processing certain categories of visas due to manpower shortages. 

The foreign ministry is working to secure alternative options for Bangladeshi students requiring third-country visas, with discussions underway to allow them to obtain visas from alternative locations such as Vietnam, Indonesia, or Pakistan.

Source: BSS