PM Modi brushed aside request to stop Sheikh Hasina’s political statements, says Yunus

By Admin

12 Jun, 2025

In a significant development highlighting the strained India-Bangladesh ties, Bangladesh’s interim government head Muhammad Yunus revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi brushed aside his request to prevent former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from making political statements while residing in India.

Speaking at London’s Chatham House on Wednesday, Yunus shared details of his interaction with Modi during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok this April. According to Yunus, he had urged Modi to restrict Hasina’s political outreach, emphasizing that her speeches from Indian soil were causing public unrest in Bangladesh.

“When I had a chance to talk to Prime Minister Modi, I simply said you want to host her, I cannot force you to abandon that policy. But please help us in making sure she doesn’t speak to Bangladeshi people the way she is doing,” Yunus told the audience.

Hasina, who fled to India in August last year after her government collapsed amid widespread student protests, has since continued to issue political statements. These statements, according to Yunus, are often announced in advance, drawing massive attention and outrage in Bangladesh.

When asked if India was taking action on his request, Yunus said Modi’s response was dismissive:

“No. Modi’s answer – and I quote – he said it is the social media, we cannot control it. What can you say? This is an explosive situation, you can’t just walk away by saying this is social media. This is what is still going on.”

Yunus confirmed that Bangladesh will persist in seeking Hasina’s extradition, especially after she was indicted by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal for allegedly ordering a police crackdown on protestors.

“This will continue… another stage has come, now there is a case,” he noted. “We want it to be very legal, very proper.”

The interim leader also expressed frustration with the Indian media, claiming that fake news originating in India is damaging bilateral ties.

“We want to build the best of relationships with India. But somehow things go wrong every time because of all the fake news coming from the Indian press,” Yunus said, suggesting possible connections between the media and top policymakers.

India has not responded to the Bangladesh government’s December request to extradite Hasina, and there has been no official Indian comment on Yunus’s latest statements.

Relations between the two countries have continued to deteriorate since Yunus took office. New Delhi has frequently criticized his administration for its alleged leniency toward extremist forces and its failure to protect religious minorities a claim Yunus has called “exaggerated.”

As Bangladesh’s interim government pushes forward with legal proceedings against Hasina and seeks international cooperation for her extradition, the diplomatic rift between Dhaka and New Delhi appears poised to deepen further.