A tumultuous homecoming
Sheikh Hasina, former prime minister of Bangladesh, has been living in exile in India since 5 August 2024, when her government was toppled by a student-led protest. She has announced that she will return to Bangladesh by the end of this year. “I will return to my homeland and am ready to face any consequences – even if it costs me my life or I am sent to jail,” Sheikh Hasina said at a press conference, addressing Indian media virtually. The press conference, held at the Foreign Correspondents Club, was packed with journalists.
Even as Sheikh Hasina spoke about her plan to return, she also lamented how the youth of her country were misled and about human rights violations within the country and its economic decline. “For the last two years, I have been watching Bangladesh suffer,” she added. “This is not the Bangladesh we built. This is not the Bangladesh for which three million people sacrificed their lives in 1971”.
Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said that Bangladesh had turned into another Pakistan with the rise of radicals and terrorists within the country. “Operatives from terror organisations like Al Qaeda and many others are freely functioning across Bangladesh. Many terrorists are now emerging from Bangladesh, which could be a serious cause of concern for India,” said Wazed, adding that, in India, his mother was treated with respect accorded to a ‘head of state’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, former education minister of Bangladesh, felt that Sheikh Hasina’s objective was not vengeance but justice. “She wants to return to Bangladesh; she is not seeking revenge but fair justice,’’ he stated.
Meanwhile, India’s ministry for external affairs (MEA) had distanced itself before the press conference, saying that it was organised by a private entity and the ministry wouldn’t endorse anything that came out of the interaction. Relations between India and Bangladesh have been fractured since Sheikh Hasina came to Delhi. There was no major diplomatic exchange during the interim government under Mohammed Yunus, nor has much changed since Tarique Rahman took over.
Bangladesh’s ministry for foreign affairs has expressed its angst against the conference and issued a statement, saying: “Dhaka deeply regrets that, despite concerns conveyed to the government of India about the likely ramifications of this event on the reset of our bilateral relations, this public event was permitted to be held. Allowing her the opportunity to openly interact with the media under any pretext is deeply hurtful to our people’s sentiment and detrimental to the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India.”
Strain in ties
Sheikh Hasina’s presence in India was a reason for the strain in ties between India and the present Bangladesh government, which has sought her extradition and wants her to be tried for war crimes. A court has even announced a death sentence for Hasina.
India had expressed its wish to engage with Tarique Rahman, with PM Modi being amongst the first world leaders to congratulate him and invite him to visit India. However, Rahman chose Malaysia and China for his first official visits abroad. He may visit India for the BRICS Summit in September – where he has been invited as the chair of BIMSTEC, as a part of larger BRICS outreach by India.
Sheikh Hasina hasn’t announced a date for her departure for Dhaka yet, but her press conference has created ripples. Will she be able to return? Only time can tell. Until then, bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh will continue the way they have been for the past two years.
“Would the students who led the revolution come out and welcome you?” Business India had queried during the meet. “What kind of support do you have on the ground in Bangladesh at present?” She replied that the answers to all these questions were in her remarks and she would respond to further queries on e-mail.