Representative of Bangladesh government meeting Rabilal Das, the father of Dipu Chandra Das. (Photo: X/@ChiefAdviserGoB)Bangladesh Protests Today News Live Updates: Bangladesh has temporarily suspended consular and visa services at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, citing “unavoidable circumstances”, according to a notice issued by the mission on Monday. Following this, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma was summoned to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Dhaka. He was asked to ensure the safety of Bangladeshi officials at the Missions across India. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus told Sergio Gor, who serves as the US Ambassador to India, that the country is poised to hold elections on time, scheduled on February 12. Earlier, the central leader of the National Citizens Party (NCP) workers’ organisation, Md. Motaleb Sikder (42) was shot at in Khulna on Monday.
Sheikh Hasina blames interim govt for spiral of violence: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has blamed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for failing to maintain law and order, following the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi. “This tragic killing reflects the lawlessness that uprooted my government and has multiplied under Yunus,” she said. “Violence has become the norm while the interim government either denies it or is powerless to stop it.”
Protests in Dhaka: Bangladesh has seen renewed unrest following the December 12 shooting of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. His death triggered protests across the country. In Dhaka, incidents of arson were reported at the offices of newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, and at the home of a former minister from the Sheikh Hasina government. The residence of India’s Assistant High Commissioner in Chattogram was also attacked. Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, was a spokesperson of the student-led group Inqilab Mancha. The country is also observing a day of state mourning following the death of Hadi, who was one of the prominent leaders of the student-led protests last year, which led to the ouster of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5, 2024.
India summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah on Tuesday. This came after the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to convey its "grave concern" over the security of its missions.
CR Abrar, the Education Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, on Tuesday met the family of Dipu Chandra Das, the Hindu man who was killed by a mob last week.
“The Office of the Chief Adviser has expressed its profound sorrow over the killing of factory worker Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh and extended its deepest condolences to his family.
On behalf of the government, Education Adviser Professor C R Abrar visited the bereaved family in Mymensingh on Tuesday to convey the government’s sympathy and assurance of support during this difficult time.
During the visit, he spoke with Rabilal Das, the father of Dipu Chandra Das, among others.
The Education Adviser reiterated that the killing was a heinous criminal act with no justification and no place in Bangladeshi society. Allegations, rumours, or differences of belief can never excuse violence, and no individual has the right to take the law into their own hands, he said,” Chief Adviser’s office said in a post on X.
Police in Bangladesh on Tuesday arrested 11 more people in connection with last week’s attacks, vandalism, and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in Dhaka. With this, the total arrests in the two separate cases have risen to 28.
West Bengal's Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said he wouldn't allow the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata to function if he was not granted an appointment for a meeting with the country's envoy.
Adhikari said he was concerned about the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, and has sought an appointment with the country's deputy high commissioner in Kolkata.
"I will go alone to the meeting. But we will ensure larger mobilisation from December 26 if the appointment is denied. We will not let the deputy high commission function smoothly on Indian soil," he said.
Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government on Tuesday told Sergio Gor, the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, that he is commited to holding general elections on February 12, 2026.
"The nation is eagerly waiting to exercise their voting rights which were stolen by the autocratic regime," Yunus said, according to a statement issued by his office.
Protests over the killing of Dipu Das in Bangladesh escalated in Kolkata on Tuesday, with police resorting to lathi charge to disperse demonstrators who attempted to march to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in the Beckbagan area, triggering clashes and severe traffic disruptions.
Tension flared when protesters tried to move towards the Deputy High Commission, a high-security zone, and were stopped by police barricades around 2 pm. The situation quickly deteriorated into scuffles between protesters and police personnel, leading to a baton charge to clear the area.
The Dhaka Airport has imposed a visitor ban for non-passengers from 6pm on Wednesday to 6pm on Thursday to avoid overcrowding due to the return of BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman from London.
Rahman, the son of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been living in exile since September 2008.
The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday condemned the assaults and incidents of mob attacks, vandalism, and arson against prominent media persons and media establishments in Bangladesh.
The EGI, in a statement, said that the attack on journalist Nurul Kabir and media houses Prothom Alo and Daily Star marks a serious and deadly escalation in the ongoing cycle of violence against and intimidation of the media in Bangladesh.
The ECI called on the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh to immediately ensure the physical safety and well-being of journalists and to take quick action against the perpetrators of such violence.
“These attacks constitute a clear violation of media freedom in South Asia and are an attempt to silence independent media voices and constrain civic discourse. The Guild calls in the authorities in Bangladesh and elsewhere to ensure that immediate action is taken to ensure that the media is allowed to function in an atmosphere free of threats, intimidation, and violence,” the ECI statement said.
Hundreds of protesters carrying saffron flags and shouting slogans against alleged violence on minority Hindus in Bangladesh tried to march to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission here on Tuesday but were stopped by police.
The protest march titled 'Hindu Hunkar Padayatra' was organised under the banner of 'Bongiyo Hindu Jagaran'. The march started from Sealdah and was proceeding towards the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission office, when it was stopped by police in the Beckbagan area.
A huge police force has been deployed near the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission office here.--PTI
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said, "The continuous attacks on minority communities in Bangladesh have certainly worried all Indians. The targeted attacks on the Hindu community have deeply hurt and angered Hindus within India as well, leading to peaceful protests and demonstrations across the country.
"It is very unfortunate that the INDIA alliance, which seems to have adopted the eradication of Sanatan Dharma as its ideal... We strongly condemn and denounce the brutal action taken by the West Bengal government and the West Bengal police against the peaceful protests by Hindu organisations in West Bengal today... Firhad Hakim called one constituency a mini-Pakistan; then, under the Trinamool Congress rule, many mini-Pakistans are being created in West Bengal," he added.
"It appears that if Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh is carrying out targeted violence against Hindus, then the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal is carrying out targeted actions against Hindus... Just as in Bangladesh, Hindus are being targeted under the guise of political circumstances; similarly, in West Bengal, targeted violence is being perpetrated against Hindus under the pretext of some issue or another..."--ANI
On Bangladesh unrest, senior West Bengal Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “We are witnessing a deeply alarming situation, with reports from Bangladesh of brutal violence, including Hindu youth being burned alive and large-scale migration."
"Bangladeshi Hindus are in danger, without a doubt… I believe the Government of India must take firm steps to address this situation, as Bangladesh appears to be increasingly falling under the influence of extremist forces," he added.
Members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were detained by police in Mumbai as they were holding a protest over the atrocities against Hindus and the mob lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh, news agency ANI reported.
#watch | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were detained by police as they were holding a protest over the atrocities against Hindus and the mob lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/j2PrSFEsyb
— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2025
In view of the situation in Bangladesh, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leader Rafiqul Islam expressed concern and said its people should not forget India's role in the making of their country
"We are worried by the situation in Bangladesh as it is a neighbouring country. The people of Bangladesh should not forget India's role in the making of their country. Those spewing poison against India today should think all that India has done for Bangladesh," Islam said.--ANI
Members of Dogra Front in Jammu and Kashmir are protesting against the atrocities against minorities and Hindus in Bangladesh. They garlanded Md Yunus' poster with shoes.
#watch | Jammu | Members of Dogra Front, J&K, are protesting against the atrocities against minorities and Hindus in Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/CJ5hgwLIou
— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2025
Tension flared outside the Bangladesh High Commission today as activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal clashed with police during a protest over the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu man in Bangladesh. Waving saffron flags and raising slogans condemning the killing, hundreds of demonstrators surged towards the heavily guarded diplomatic enclave, pulling down barricades set up to stop them. Police personnel struggled to hold their ground as protesters breached multiple security barriers.
Members of Vishva Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organisations hold a protest in Kothapet, Hyderabad, against attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. VHP's national spokesperson Shashidhar says, "Atrocities are being done against Hindus in Bangladesh. The government of India should take strict action for the protection of Hindus in Bangladesh. Bangladesh infiltrators and Rohingyas in large numbers are living in Bhagya Nagar. If the state government doesn't take any action, then VHP will announce an action."
#watch | Telangana | Members of Vishva Hindu Parishad, along with other Hindu organisations, hold a protest in Kothapet, Hyderabad, against attacks on minorities in BangladeshRJD MP Manoj Jha says, "We should think about our policies to deal with the anarchy in Bangladesh. What is our messaging? We should conduct more all-party meetings to understand the Southern part of Asia..."
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsVIDEO | On Bangladesh crisis, RJD MP Manoj Jha said, "We should think about our policies to deal with the anarchy in Bangladesh. What is our messaging? We should conduct more all-party meetings to understand the Southern part of Asia..." #bangladeshcrisis #bangladeshviolence… pic.twitter.com/CRb7kX4aw9
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 23, 2025
VHP and other Hindu outfits broke through the security barricades set up outside the Bangladesh High Commission. They are protesting the lynching of Dipu Das, who was beaten to death in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. His body was then hung upside down from a tree and burnt.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsVIDEO | Delhi: VHP members hold protest, break barricades during protest outside Bangladesh High Commission over attacks on Hindus in the neighbouring country.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 23, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos- https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/jdo2EPjsJe
Security has been amped up at the Bangladesh High Commission. Additional security personnel have deployed and strict checks are in place, as authorities maintain heightened vigilance around the premises amid the protests by Hindu outfits.
Members of Vishva Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organisations continue their protest near the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi over the atrocities against Hindus and the mob lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#watch | Delhi | Protest by members of Vishva Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organisations continues near the Bangladesh High Commission over the atrocities against Hindus and the mob lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh
— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2025
A protester says," Hindus are being killed there." pic.twitter.com/pZ8RYdPpYB
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, was summoned to the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs today over the security concerns related to Bangladesh missions in India. The summons was issued by Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry was requested to ensure the safety and security of Bangladeshi officials at the missions across India.
Amid the ongoing violence and attacks on student leaders, Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) vice-president Abu Shadik Kayem has declined government gunman security cover. He said all citizens should get security, not just a few individuals.
Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said joint forces of police, Rapid Action Battalion, and Border Guard Bangladesh have so far arrested 10 people. The arrested individuals include the prime suspect's wife, his parents and brother-in-law, the owner of the taxi allegedly used for escape, and the owner of the motorcycle used in the murder. Law enforcers also recovered the motorcycle, two foreign pistols, two magazines, 41 rounds of ammunition and a toy pistol.
Law adviser for the interim Government of Bangladesh Asif Nazrul said the murder case of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho and a prominent activist of the 2024 July Uprising, will be heard by a 'Speedy Trial Tribunal'.
Bangladesh High Commission on Monday announced that it has temporarily halted consular and visa services in New Delhi due to “unavoidable circumstances”, according to a notice issued by the mission on Monday.
The notice, as seen in Dhaka’s high commission’s office in Delhi, states, “All consular and visa services at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi have been temporarily suspended until further notice. Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.”
A student leader of Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party (NCP), Motaleb Sikder, was shot at by miscreants and injured in Khulna on Monday, days after the country was thrown into violent protests over the death of a young leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Sikder, who is known as one of the key members of the NCP, was shot at in his head near his house in Khulna city. Read more
Bangladesh has suspended visa services in its high commission in New Delhi and its mission in Tripura amid mounting strain in ties between the two countries. The decision to suspend the visa services was taken after groups of protesters held demonstrations outside the two missions, people familiar with the matter said.
The Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi put out a public notice mentioning suspension of visa services in view of unavoidable circumstances.
The assistant high commission of Bangladesh in Tripura also made a similar announcement on the suspension of visa services after protests were held outside the mission on Sunday. It is learnt that a private operator tasked by Dhaka to process visa applications in West Bengal's Siliguri has also suspended its services.
Bangladesh has witnessed a fresh wave of unrest following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi last week. Hadi was a prominent face in the anti-government protests that forced the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government.
Some of the protesters last week also trained their anger against India.
- PTI
The Bangladeshi media had reported on Sunday about a protest held outside the High Commission premises in New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs had said that the reports in Dhaka were "misleading propaganda."
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said, “We have noted misleading propaganda in sections of the Bangladesh media on the incident. The fact is that about 20-25 youth gathered in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on December 20 and raised slogans in protest against the horrendous killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, while also calling for the protection of all minorities in Bangladesh."
Bangladesh High Commission on Monday announced that it has temporarily halted consular and visa services in New Delhi due to “unavoidable circumstances”, according to a notice issued by the mission on Monday.
The notice, as seen in Dhaka's high commission's office in Delhi, states, "All consular and visa services at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi have been temporarily suspended until further notice. Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted."
Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has told US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor that the country is poised to hold election on time, which is scheduled on February 12.
During a telephonic conversation with Gor on Monday evening, Yunus said, "The nation is eagerly waiting to exercise their voting rights which were stolen by the autocratic regime."
In a post on X, Yunus' office wrote, "Professor Yunus made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Sergio Gor, the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, at around 7:30 pm (Dhaka time). The discussion, which lasted about half an hour, focused on trade and tariff negotiations between Bangladesh and the United States, the upcoming general election, the country’s democratic transition, and the murder of young Bangladeshi political activist Sharif Osman Hadi."
Election Will Be Held on Time, Chief Adviser Tells US Special Envoy
— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) December 22, 2025
DHAKA, December 22: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday reiterated his commitment to holding general elections on February 12.
"The nation is eagerly waiting to exercise their voting rights which…
Interim Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has responded to reports claiming he has offered to resign from his post amid the worsening security situation in the country and said, “If I had resigned, I would not be sitting here.”
At a press briefing on Monday, Alam said 17 people have been arrested in connection with the attacks on the offices of Bangladeshi media houses Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.
Motaleb Sikder, who is a student leader of Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party (NCP) was shot in head by miscreants in Khulna on Monday, days after the country was thrown into violent protests over the death of a young leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Sikder, who is one of the key members of the NCP, was shot in his head near his house in Khulna city.
The development comes as protests erupted across Bangladesh after the killing of Hadi, who was a key figure in student-led protests in the country last year that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power. Hasina fled to New Delhi amid massive protests. Hadi died in a hospital in Singapore last week after being shot on December 12 in Dhaka.
Minority groups in Bangladesh on Monday held a protest in the national capital over the interim government's failure to prevent the persecution of minorities, as authorities announced the arrest of 21 suspects linked to the lynching of a Hindu man, attacks on media offices and violent demonstrations near an Indian diplomatic mission.
Leaders of Hindu and other minority organisations on Monday formed a human chain in Dhaka against the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, saying the interim government has failed to stop violence, killings and persecution of minority communities.
Das, a garment factory worker in central Mymensingh city, was dragged out of the factory by a mob and lynched to death on Thursday. His body was then set on fire.
His killing sparked widespread protests by factory workers, students and rights groups while India expressed concerns as well.
- PTI
The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma visited the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) at Jamuna Future Park in Dhaka on Monday and reviewed the functioning of the visa services, Daily Star reported.
The Indian high commission, in a statement said, that they continue to operate visa application centres in Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi citing humanitarian grounds.
However, the visa application centre at Chattogram remain temporarily suspended following a mob attack at the entrance of the Assistant High Commission of India on December 18.
After Motaleb Sikder, the central leader of National Citizens Party (NCP) workers’ organisation was shot at, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has intensified its search operations and surveillance along the Benapole border between India and Bangladesh.
After the killing of Sikder around 11:45am near Gazi Medical College Hospital in the district town, Bangladesh's border guard raised the security along the Benapole border to ensure that the suspects do not escape to India, reported Daily Star.
The murder trial of Osman bin Hadi, the 32-year-old leader of students movements in Bangladesh, who was killed last week, must be tried before election, said Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of Inqilab Moncho. "There can be no election without this trial," he added.
Jaber said that a special tribunal must be established with 24 hours and the killing of Inqilab Moncho convener Shaheed Osman Hadi must be tried. He added in a press briefing that if necessary, FBI or Scotland Yard should be involved in the probe to ensure proper investigation, Portho Malo reported.
Addressing a human chain organised by the Minority Unity Front in front of the Jatiya Press Club minority leaders said the lack of proper investigations and justice had created fear and mistrust across the country, The Daily Star reported.
Manindra Kumar Nath, joint coordinator of the Minority Unity Front, said the government did not contact the family of Dipu Chandra Das, who was "beaten and burned to death" in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, on December 18 following allegations of "religious blasphemy", according to The Daily Star.
The Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) announced plans to hold a nationwide journalists' conference in mid-January, vowing to continue protests until those responsible for recent arson attacks on The Daily Star and Prothom Alo are brought to justice, Prothom Alo reported.
Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of Inqilab Moncho, has said that the murder of Sharif Osman bin Hadi must be tried before the next election, Bangladesh daily Prothom Alo reported. “There can be no election without this trial,” he said.
He made the remarks at a press conference held Monday afternoon in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh in the capital.
The Kaler Kantha newspaper, quoting hospital sources, said Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar was shot on the left side of his head, and was bleeding profusely when he was brought to the facility, where the doctors started emergency treatment, PTI reported.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that this is not only an attack on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, it is an attack on democracy itself, Protom Alo reported. So, he said all pro-democracy forces must unite to resist this evil force.
Mirza Fakhrul made the remarks while expressing solidarity at a protest rally organised in response to the attacks and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, as well as the harassment of Nurul Kabir, editor of New Age and president of the Editors’ Council, according to Prothom Alo.
Bangladesh Protests News Live Updates: Law enforcement agencies arrested 17 people and identified 31 others in connection with the arson attacks and vandalism at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam said that out of the ones arrested, 13 were detained by local police stations, three by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, and one by the Detective Branch (DB), according to The Daily Star.
Bangladesh Protests News Live Updates: Miscreants opened fire targeting Mohammad Motaleb Sikder's head at around 11:45 am near Khulna's Gazi Medical College Hospital, The Daily Star reported citing Md Rafikul Islam, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Sonadanga Model Police Station.
Sikder was immediately rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
Bangladesh Protests News Live Updates: The central leader of the National Citizens Party (NCP) workers' organization was shot at in Khulna on Monday (Dec 22), according to Prothom Alo reports.
Md. Motaleb Sikder (42) serves as the Khulna divisional chief of the NCP and a central organiser of NCP Sramik Shakti. Reportedly, his party was set to hold a divisional labour rally in Khulna in a few days, and he was working on that.
Bangladesh Protests News Live Updates: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, in an interview with news agency ANI, said that the "anti-India sentiment" was being manufactured by "extremists who the Yunus regime has emboldened."
"These are the same actors who marched on the Indian embassy and attacked our media offices, who attack minorities with impunity, and who forced my family and me to flee for our lives. Yunus has placed such figures in positions of power and released convicted terrorists from prison," she said.
"India's concerns about the safety of its personnel are justified, I am sorry to say. A responsible government would protect diplomatic missions and prosecute those who threaten them. Instead, Yunus grants immunity to hooligans and calls them warriors," Hasina added.
Bangladesh Protests News Live Updates: Bangladesh Police has said they have no "specific information" on the whereabouts of the prime suspect in the killing of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
The remarks came a day after Hadi's Inqilab Mancha party on Saturday issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the interim government, demanding "visible progress" in the arrest of those responsible for his killing.
Addressing an emergency press conference at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday, Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said law enforcement agencies are actively trying to locate Faisal Karim Masud, identified as the gunman in the shooting, the UNB news agency reported.
“We do not have specific information about Faisal's last location. Our forces and intelligence agencies are working to obtain it,” he said, adding that there was no reliable information suggesting the suspect had left the country.
The IGP cautioned that criminals often spread rumours about their whereabouts. Islam also said no concrete evidence has yet emerged linking any political party to the murder.
"However, efforts are underway to gather accurate data,” he said.
Detective Branch (DB) chief Shafiqul Islam said prima facie, the murder appeared to be politically motivated, as there did not seem to be any personal motive. However, he said, “We are examining all possible angles.” Hadi, a prominent leader of the student-led protests last year that led to the ouster of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, was a candidate for the scheduled February 12 general elections.
-PTI
‘Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said she will not return to the country under the current circumstances, calling the legal action against her “politically motivated”. She also blamed the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus for the increasing lawlessness and violence in the country. Read more
Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has blamed the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus for the strained relations between India and Bangladesh.
In an email interview with ANI, Hasina stated that the Yunus government is issuing hostile statements against India, failing to protect religious minorities, and allowing extremists to dictate foreign policy.
She emphasized that India has been Bangladesh's most steadfast friend and partner for decades, and the ties between the nations are deep and fundamental, and will outlast any temporary government .
As Bangladesh prepares to hold its national elections nearly a year after Sheikh Hasina's government was ousted following a student-led uprising in July, the former prime minister has said that an election without her party would not be an election but a coronation, as the Awami League has been barred from contesting the upcoming polls.
"An election without the Awami League is not an election, but a coronation. Yunus governs without a single vote from the Bangladeshi people, and now he seeks to ban the party that has been elected nine times by popular mandate," Hasina said.
"Historically, when Bangladeshis cannot vote for their preferred party, they do not vote at all. So millions will be effectively disenfranchised if this ban on the Awami League is maintained.
Any government that emerges from such an exercise will lack the moral authority to govern. This would be a terrible missed opportunity at a time when Bangladesh badly needs a process of genuine national reconciliation," she added. (ANI)
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