Bangladesh’s latest diplomatic protest against India is significant not simply because of its unusually strong language, but because of what it reveals about how Dhaka wants its post-2024 political reality — and its relationship with New Delhi — to be understood.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government issued the statement on Wednesday night after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina addressed supporters and the media from New Delhi on the second anniversary of the July movement that led to her ouster in August 2024.
In her comments, Hasina rejected allegations surrounding the July-August crackdown, defended her government’s actions, criticized Bangladesh’s current leadership, called for the ban on the Awami League to be lifted, and said she planned to return to Bangladesh.
Dhaka responded with one of its strongest diplomatic statements against India since the political transition two years ago. It accused New Delhi of allowing Hasina to use Indian soil to launch “venomous vitriol” against Bangladesh, despite prior concerns conveyed to the Indian government about the possible consequences for efforts to reset bilateral ties.
