Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Saturday that New Delhi’s stated desire to maintain warm diplomatic relations with Bangladesh directly conflicts with its decision to grant former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a platform for political involvement and public commentary from within Indian territory.

Speaking as the principal guest at a discussion held in the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building auditorium at Dhaka University, Salahuddin Ahmed highlighted this diplomatic friction, observing, “On the one hand, India wants friendly relations with Bangladesh while on the other, it allows a convict and fugitive accused, Sheikh Hasina, to make anti-Bangladesh statements or engage in political activities from Indian soil. These two positions are completely contradictory.”

The Home Minister further conveyed his expectation that Indian authorities would recognize this inconsistency and cease playing the “Hasina card.”

The event, titled “The Role of University Teachers in the Fall of the Fascist Government,” was jointly hosted by Dhaka University’s Sada Dal Panel and the University Teachers’ Association of Bangladesh (UTAB) to commemorate the second anniversary of the 2024 July-August Mass Uprising.

Emphasizing the necessity of guarding the core ideals of the uprising along with an “iron-clad national unity,” Salahuddin Ahmed asserted that Bangladesh must finalize comprehensive democratic reforms through political tolerance and open democratic participation, while ensuring that "fascism" finds no avenue to reemerge.

He remarked that the triumph secured following 17 years of democratic resistance and the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of citizens should not be co-opted by any single faction seeking to monopolize the movement's legacy.

Recalling the political transition, Salahuddin Ahmed noted that the interim administration established on August 8, 2024, pursuant to Article 106 of the Constitution, represented the collective will of the nation's pro-democracy citizenry.

He pointed out that Sheikh Hasina’s eventual removal was the direct outcome of a popular revolt against 17 years marked by state repression, secret detentions, extrajudicial killings, and voter disenfranchisement, remarking, “The politics of the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina has died in Dhaka and been buried in Delhi,” before adding that the public can no longer be deceived through the “politics of selling the spirit.”

Addressing planned governance and constitutional reforms, Salahuddin Ahmed detailed proposals to introduce a strict two-term ceiling for future prime ministers, designed to prevent any democratically elected leader from exercising unchecked executive authority.

He outlined plans to establish effective checks and balances through a bicameral legislative structure comprising an upper and lower house of parliament.
Elaborating on constitutional updates, he observed that democratic nations globally periodically modify their founding charters to adapt to evolving societal expectations, noting that Bangladesh has similarly embarked on a democratic constitutional revision process driven by public demands following the uprising.

Directing his remarks toward the youth and student demographic, Salahuddin Ahmed cautioned them against issuing “provocative statements” stemming from “political immaturity.”

In light of reported attempts to goad students into hostile confrontations within campus environments, he urged student groups to maintain patience, practice restraint, and channel their protests through recognized democratic channels.

The commemorative program featured Dr. ABM Obaidul Islam as a special guest. Special honor crests were presented to surviving relatives of individuals killed during the July Uprising, including Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, brother of martyr Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho; Shafiul Alam, father of martyr Wasim Akram; Md Abu Hossain, brother of martyr Abu Sayed; and Nazma Khatun Lipi, mother of martyr Ekramul Haque Sajid.

The gathering brought together university faculty, students across various institutions, civil society advocates and political figures.

With Inputs from UNB