Bangladesh's caretaker administration expressed apprehension on Wednesday that the inauguration of Awami League offices in Indian cities would put bilateral relations under pressure, to which India responded by insisting that it had no knowledge of any anti-Bangladesh activities by supporters of the Awami League party headed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Dhaka caretaker government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, made the allegation during already strained relations between the two nations. India is yet to respond to a plea from Bangladesh for the extradition of Hasina, who has been in self-imposed exile in New Delhi since she fled Dhaka in August 2024.
A Bangladeshi foreign ministry statement spoke of the "reported opening of offices of the proscribed" Awami League in New Delhi and Kolkata and observed: "This move also risks upholding the good-neighbourly relations with India based on mutual trust and mutual respect, and gives serious significance to the political transformation process in Bangladesh."
In reaction to the claim, the Indian government's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that "the government is not aware of any anti-Bangladesh activities by so-called members of the Awami League in India or of any action that is against Indian law."
He further asserted that India does not allow "political activities against other nations to be conducted from Indian soil.
“The press statement by the interim government of Bangladesh is thus misplaced,” Jaiswal said, while recalling New Delhi’s call for free and fair elections in Bangladesh.
“India reiterates its expectation that free, fair and inclusive elections will be held at the earliest in Bangladesh to ascertain the will and mandate of the people,” he added.
The conflict is indicative of mounting friction since Yunus' caretaker administration came to power last year. The two countries have repeatedly clashed over the caretaker regime's response to attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. India has also imposed trade restrictions against Bangladeshi exports at land border posts citing non-tariff barriers put up by Dhaka.
Bangladesh's foreign ministry accused the Awami League of establishing offices in India in the wake of "increasing anti-Bangladesh activities" by party leaders on Indian territory. It also charged that a number of high-ranking Awami League leaders, "absconding from several criminal cases in Bangladesh due to serious crimes," were in India. The ministry further stated that some leaders had "decided to arrange a public outreach" at the Press Club of India in New Delhi on July 21.
The political activities, especially those of "absconding leaders/activists of a proscribed political party," were termed as "an insult to the people and Government of Bangladesh," it stated.
The development was termed as having the potential to "affect the continued efforts of the two countries to further consolidate the relations between the two closest neighbours" and called for immediate action to block anti-Bangladesh activities.
Aside from Hasina, numerous other leaders of the Awami League are also said to be residing in self-exile in India. Bangladesh's interim government has lodged several criminal charges against Hasina and other leaders of the party, prompting human rights groups to question the validity of the charges.
In July, Hasina was ordered to be held in prison for six months for contempt of court by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which is trying several other cases against her. She is accused of crimes against humanity, enforced disappearances, and a crackdown on protestors last year.
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