Archive · 7 Aug 2026
Hasina's comeback plan strains India-Bangladesh ties reset
Sheikh Hasina used to be the leader of Bangladesh, a country that is India's neighbor.
After big student protests in 2024, many people in her country became unhappy with her, and she left to live in India.
Recently, she held a press conference and said she wants to return to politics.
She said she cannot stay away while the people of her country are suffering.
Many people in Bangladesh are still angry with her, and a court there has even sentenced her to death.
Some angry people threw petrol bombs at the house of a famous cricketer, Shakib Al Hasan, because he joined her meeting online.
Bangladesh's new leader, Tarique Rahman, was not happy about her announcement.
India says it was not involved in her plans.
India wants to be friends with Bangladesh's new government, but it also gave Hasina a safe place to stay.
This makes the relationship between India and Bangladesh a bit tricky right now.
Exiled former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina announced a political comeback at a Wednesday press conference, saying she cannot stay away while her countrymen suffer.
The announcement came less than six months after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government of PM Tarique Rahman took office.
Hasina was sentenced to death by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal and remains unpopular over her government's heavy-handed response to the 2024 student protests.
A mob hurled petrol bombs at the residence of former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan after he joined Hasina virtually.
Dhaka reacted sharply to the event despite New Delhi saying it was not involved, even as the two countries seek a pragmatic reset of ties.
- Who
- Sheikh Hasina, exiled former Bangladesh prime minister; PM Tarique Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government; and the Indian government (New Delhi).
- What
- Hasina announced a political comeback from exile in India, prompting a sharp reaction from Bangladesh and complicating India-Bangladesh relations.
- When
- Wednesday, less than six months after the BNP-led government took office.
- Where
- India, where Hasina lives in exile, and Bangladesh, whose government reacted to the event.
- Why
- Hasina says she cannot stay away while her countrymen are suffering, while New Delhi wants to rebuild ties with Dhaka without letting her political platform bruise that relationship.
Hasina's right to speak
Bangladesh ties and sovereignty
Hosting Hasina in India
Hasina's right to speak
India was right to offer Hasina refuge, given concerns about the blatant unfairness of legal proceedings against her in Bangladesh, and she should be free to speak about her country.
Bangladesh ties and sovereignty
Turning India's sanctuary into a political platform is problematic and could bruise New Delhi's relationship with Bangladesh's democratically elected government.
Bangladesh's reaction
Hasina's right to speak
Dhaka's sharp reaction is understandable given an exiled opposition leader is using foreign soil to challenge the government.
Bangladesh ties and sovereignty
Dhaka's reaction is thin-skinned and hardly helps the two countries, especially since New Delhi made clear it was not involved in the event.
- Former Bangladesh PM
- Sheikh Hasina
- Current Bangladesh PM
- Tarique Rahman
- Hasina's legal status
- Sentenced to death by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal
- Ruling party
- Bangladesh Nationalist Party; Awami League was barred from contesting
- Government in office
- Less than six months
- Incident
- Petrol bombs hurled at Shakib Al Hasan's residence after he joined Hasina virtually
- Unresolved bilateral issues
- Illegal border crossings; future of the Ganga Water Treaty
- India's position
- New Delhi said it was not involved in Wednesday's event