Dhaka has expressed deep indignation over allowing convicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to hold a press conference in New Delhi.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared this position in an official statement issued on Wednesday (August 5).

The ministry stated that permitting Sheikh Hasina to engage with the media on Indian soil—coinciding with the second-anniversary observance of the July Revolution—constitutes a direct affront to Bangladesh's sovereignty and a grave insult to the martyrs of the July uprising.

The statement further emphasized that dismissing United Nations-established facts regarding the mass killings of innocent civilians, including children, during the July–August 2024 uprising is a futile attempt to alter the course of history.

Such malicious efforts are actively being pursued by Sheikh Hasina and her associates.

Embracing the spirit of the July Revolution, the people of Bangladesh remain firmly resolved that the nation will never regress into the dark era of fascism, nor will it ever be reduced to a dependent state, the ministry noted. It added that neither Sheikh Hasina nor her associates will ever find a place in the political landscape of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh remains eager to maintain a constructive, mutually beneficial, and forward-looking relationship with India based on sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and national dignity, the statement continued.

The public has consistently rejected such external maneuvers in the past and continues to do so.

Furthermore, the ministry highlighted that despite repeated requests made to the Indian government to repatriate Sheikh Hasina under the 2013 Bangladesh-India Extradition Treaty, no response has been received to date.

The Foreign Ministry asserted that granting Sheikh Hasina public access to the media under any pretext inflicts a deep wound on the sentiments of the Bangladeshi people and remains detrimental to the fostering of friendly bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India.