Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Ex-Bangladesh Ministers Slam Government's 'Juvenile' Remarks on Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina used to be the leader of Bangladesh.
She left the country two years ago and has been living in India.
She talked to reporters from New Delhi and said she wants to go back to Bangladesh by the end of this year.
The new government in Bangladesh, led by Tarique Rahman, is very upset with her.
They called her a criminal and asked India to send her back so she could be punished.
Some people who used to be ministers in Bangladesh think the government's words were rude and childish.
They said a country's government should always talk politely and with dignity, even when it disagrees.
One former minister also said newspapers and TV channels in Bangladesh were stopped from showing Hasina's speech.
He thinks people should be free to hear what she has to say.
India said it had nothing to do with Hasina's talk and that a private company organized it.
Former Bangladesh ministers called the BNP-led government's remarks on Sheikh Hasina 'juvenile' and unbecoming of a diplomatic communique.
Hasina, in exile in India for the past two years, told reporters she will return to Bangladesh by year-end.
The Bangladesh government described Hasina as an 'absconding convicted genocider', a 'mass murderer' and the head of a 'mafia enterprise', urging India to extradite her.
Ex-Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen accused the government of suppressing media coverage of Hasina's speech and cited her three demands, including lifting the Awami League ban.
India's Ministry of External Affairs said the government had no involvement in the event, which was organised by a private media entity.
- Who
- Former Bangladesh ministers (including Mohammad Ali Arafat and A.K. Abdul Momen), Tarique Rahman's BNP-led government, and exiled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
- What
- Former ministers condemned the government's 'juvenile' rhetoric after Hasina addressed media virtually from New Delhi and said she would return to Bangladesh.
- When
- Around the anniversary of the 2024 July Revolution; the article gives no exact date.
- Where
- New Delhi, India, and Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Why
- The government branded Hasina an 'absconding convicted genocider' and demanded her extradition, while critics called the remarks undiplomatic and an attack on free speech.
Former Ministers & Critics
BNP-Led Government
Official rhetoric on Hasina
Former Ministers & Critics
The Foreign Ministry's statement is 'juvenile anger... wholly unbecoming of a diplomatic communique'; state institutions must show composure, professionalism and dignity.
BNP-Led Government
Hasina is an 'absconding convicted genocider', a 'mass murderer' and the head of a 'mafia enterprise', so the government's condemnation is justified.
Hasina's virtual address
Former Ministers & Critics
Hasina must be allowed to tell the truth about the 'meticulously designed overthrow' of her democratically elected government; her speech should have been published.
BNP-Led Government
The event is an affront to Bangladesh's sovereignty; India should not let her speak and should extradite her.
Media freedom
Former Ministers & Critics
Television channels and newspapers in Bangladesh were prevented from covering Hasina's speech, curbing freedom of speech and expression.
BNP-Led Government
Hasina should not be allowed to speak because she has been convicted in absentia in a court.
- Hasina's status
- Former Bangladesh PM living in exile in India for the past two years
- Announced plan
- Return to Bangladesh by year-end
- Government's description of Hasina
- 'Absconding convicted genocider', 'mass murderer', head of a 'mafia enterprise'
- Bangladesh's demand
- Extradition of Sheikh Hasina from India
- India's position
- No government involvement; event organised by a private media entity (per MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal)
- Hasina's three demands
- Lift the ban on the Awami League; withdraw politically motivated cases; restore rule of law and judicial independence
- Critics' allegation
- Bangladeshi TV channels and newspapers did not publish or broadcast Hasina's speech
- Key critic
- A.K. Abdul Momen compared Hasina's address to Tarique Rahman's 17 years of speaking from exile in the UK