DHAKA: Bangladesh on Sunday said it was “surprised” and “shocked” that India had allowed fugitive former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to make a public speech in New Delhi.
Hasina, 78, fled to neighboring India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her iron-fisted 15-year rule.
She made her first public speech since then in an audio address to a packed press club in Delhi on Friday.
She was found guilty in absentia by a Dhaka court in November of incitement, issuing an order to kill and inaction to prevent atrocities and was sentenced to be hanged.
“The government and people of Bangladesh are surprised and shocked,” Dhaka’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Allowing the event to take place in the Indian capital and allowing the mass murderer Hasina to openly deliver her hateful speech… constitutes a clear mockery of the people and government of Bangladesh.”
It said it allowed Hasina to set the speech “a dangerous precedent” that could “seriously deteriorate bilateral relations”.
Bangladeshi voters go to the polls on February 12 to choose new leaders after a period of unrest that followed the overthrow of Hasina’s autocratic government.
Hasina said in her speech that “Bangladesh will never experience free and fair elections” under interim leader Muhammad Yunus.
More than 100,000 people saw the address, which was posted online.
Bangladesh has asked India to hand over Hasina, but New Delhi is yet to comment on the request.
