DHAKA / NEW DELHI — The Bangladeshi government has issued a scathing rebuke after deposed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a live media briefing in New Delhi, condemning the move as a direct affront to the country's national sovereignty and a severe blow to diplomatic efforts aimed at resetting ties between the neighboring nations.

In a strongly worded press release issued late Wednesday, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep outrage that the "absconding convicted" leader was permitted to address journalists from Indian soil. The statement arrived on the second anniversary of the historic July Uprising—the mass movement that ousted Hasina’s administration in August 2024.

'A Direct Affront to Sovereignty'

According to Dhaka officials, concerns had been formally conveyed to New Delhi prior to the event, warning that providing Hasina a platform would ignite intense public indignation across Bangladesh.

"Bangladesh is outraged that the absconding convicted genocider Sheikh Hasina was allowed to engage in live interaction with the media in New Delhi, where she and her associates launched venomous vitriol against the State of Bangladesh and her people," the Ministry stated.

The ministry added that hosting such an event on the solemn anniversary of the revolution stood as a "grievous insult to the martyrs" who lost their lives during the 2024 crackdown.

Hasina Vows Return in First Public Speech

During the audio-only virtual briefing—organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi—Hasina broke her public silence to declare her intention to return to Bangladesh this December. She challenged the narrative surrounding her removal, describing the 2024 uprising not as a organic student movement, but as a "planned regime change" orchestrated to dismantle democratic structures.

"Whatever fate awaits me, I will return to my people," Hasina stated, adding that she was prepared to face arrest or legal action upon her arrival.

Mounting Strains on Bilateral Ties

The incident marks one of the sharpest diplomatic escalations between Dhaka and New Delhi since Hasina fled to India in August 2024. Following her departure, a special International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka tried Hasina in absentia, sentencing her to death late last year for alleged crimes against humanity linked to the military and police crackdown on student demonstrators.

Dhaka highlighted its repeated, unfulfilled extradition requests under the 2013 bilateral treaty. Foreign Ministry officials noted with disappointment that while official requests for her surrender have received no formal action, platforming her publicly undermines the principles of mutual respect and non-interference.

Indian officials previously distanced the government from the event, clarifying that the briefing was organized independently by a private media club without state facilitation or endorsement. However, Bangladeshi foreign policy analysts warn that permitting such high-profile political events could further complicate the fragile transition toward normalized diplomatic dialogue.