Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Bangladesh Calls Hasina's Delhi Media Interaction 'Grievous Insult'
Bangladesh and India are neighboring countries that are usually friendly.
A woman named Sheikh Hasina used to be the leader of Bangladesh.
After big protests in 2024, she had to leave her country and has been living in India.
Recently, she talked to reporters from New Delhi, India's capital, using only her voice over the phone.
The people now in charge of Bangladesh were very angry about this.
They said it was rude and called it a big insult to their country.
They say she did bad things when she was in charge and should be sent back to Bangladesh to face jail.
Sheikh Hasina says she still wants to go back home, even if they might put her in jail.
She wants to restore democracy and put her country back on the right track.
India says its government did not organize her talk, so the two countries are not getting along as well as before.
Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong protest, calling Sheikh Hasina's live media interaction in New Delhi a 'grievous insult' to the country's sovereignty that could damage bilateral ties.
Dhaka said it was 'outraged' that the event was allowed to proceed even though its concerns had been conveyed to New Delhi in advance, calling it an affront on the second anniversary of the July Revolution.
Speaking at an audio-only press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Delhi, Hasina vowed to return to Bangladesh in December despite the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence.
Bangladesh accused Hasina of denying United Nations-recognized findings on civilian deaths during the July-August 2024 crackdown and said its extradition requests under the 2013 India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty have gone unanswered.
India took a hands-off stance, saying there was no government involvement in the event, while Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy warned that 'Bangladesh has become another Pakistan' on India's eastern front.
- Who
- Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who spoke to the media from New Delhi, and Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which lodged the protest; Bangladesh is currently led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy also addressed the event.
- What
- Bangladesh formally protested Hasina's live media interaction from New Delhi, calling it a 'grievous insult' and an 'affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh.'
- When
- Wednesday, August 5, 2026, the second anniversary of the July Revolution; Hasina fled Bangladesh on this day two years earlier amid the 2024 unrest.
- Where
- New Delhi, India, where Hasina held an audio-only press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club; the protest was issued from Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Why
- Dhaka was outraged that the event proceeded despite concerns conveyed in advance, accused Hasina of denying United Nations-recognized findings on 2024 civilian deaths, and said its repeated requests for her extradition have gone unanswered.
Bangladesh Government
Sheikh Hasina
Hasina's media interaction in New Delhi
Bangladesh Government
Allowing Hasina to address the media live from the Indian capital is a 'grievous insult' and an affront to Bangladesh's sovereignty, especially on the second anniversary of the July Revolution and despite concerns conveyed to New Delhi in advance.
Sheikh Hasina
Hasina used the platform to speak to her people and the international community, called India a 'great friend' of Bangladesh, and vowed to return home to put the country 'back on the right track.'
Hasina's conviction and possible return
Bangladesh Government
Dhaka calls Hasina an 'absconding convicted genocider' and 'convicted mass murderer' who has no place in Bangladesh's polity, and repeats its demand for her extradition under the 2013 treaty.
Sheikh Hasina
Hasina says she knows she may be detained, jailed or killed but will go back 'to be with my people,' arguing that Bangladeshis deserve a state that protects them, an economy with opportunity and democracy with rights.
Nature of the 2024 protests
Bangladesh Government
The July-August 2024 crackdown involved the 'gruesome killing' of innocent civilians, including minor children, by a 'fascist regime' — facts established by the United Nations.
Sheikh Hasina
Hasina claims the student protests that led to her ousting were manipulated by organized groups aiming for regime change rather than a simple demand for reform.
- Protesting country
- Bangladesh
- Subject of protest
- Sheikh Hasina's live media interaction in New Delhi
- Dhaka's characterization
- 'Grievous insult' and an 'affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh'
- Event details
- Audio-only press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Delhi
- Hasina's pledge
- Return to Bangladesh in December despite the risk of imprisonment or death
- Hasina's sentence
- Death sentence, convicted in absentia in November 2025 for crimes against humanity
- Current Bangladesh PM
- Tarique Rahman, whose party won February's election after the Awami League was barred
- Fallout
- Shakib Al Hasan's ancestral house in Magura was attacked and an attempt was made to set it on fire
Sources
Dhaka outrage over Sheikh Hasina’s Delhi event: 'Affront to sovereignty of Bangladesh'
‘Detrimental to bilateral relations’: Bangladesh slams India for ousted PM Sheikh Hasina's Delhi press conference
