Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has accused India of straining relations with Dhaka, alleging that New Delhi disapproved of last year’s protests that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate claimed India’s decision to shelter Hasina has become a key source of friction between the neighbours.
“We have problems with India right now because they did not like what the students have done,” Yunus said, according to NDTV. “India is hosting Hasina, who has created problems… that creates tension between India and Bangladesh.”
Yunus further accused Indian media of spreading disinformation about the political movement that forced Hasina from power. “A lot of fake news is coming from India, propaganda that it’s an Islamist movement,” he alleged.
Hasina in Exile in India
On August 5, 2024, Hasina’s 16-year rule with the Awami League ended after a violent mass uprising swept across Bangladesh. The ousted leader fled Dhaka and has since been living in self-exile in New Delhi.
Bangladesh’s interim government has filed a series of criminal cases against Hasina and senior Awami League leaders — charges that international human rights groups have described as politically motivated. Dhaka has requested Hasina’s extradition, but India has yet to respond.
Relations at a Low Point
Since Yunus took charge of the caretaker administration, ties between India and Bangladesh have sharply deteriorated. Both sides have traded barbs over Dhaka’s treatment of minorities and accusations that the interim setup has allowed radical groups to operate freely.
Yunus has dismissed those claims as “exaggerated,” but the rift marks one of the lowest points in bilateral relations in recent years.
