Dhaka summons Indian diplomat over Hasina media interviews
Dhaka summons Indian diplomat over Hasina media interviews
Bangladesh protests Hasina’s media access, summoning India's deputy envoy amid concerns the interviews strain bilateral ties.
Dhaka summoned India's deputy high commissioner in a formal protest over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent interviews with Indian media, including Hindustan Times. The Bangladeshi foreign ministry conveyed serious concern about India allowing Hasina to interact with mainstream Indian outlets and asked for her access to journalists to be discontinued. This development comes just days after Hasina, who has been in self-exile in India since August 2024, gave interviews to several Indian media houses in what was her first engagement with Indian journalists since leaving Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry framed the interviews as potentially detrimental to the bilateral relationship, stating that harbouring such a notorious fugitive currently under trial for crimes against humanity and granting her a platform to spew hatred are unhelpful. The summoned diplomat, Pawan Badhe, was asked to relay Dhaka’s demand that Hasina’s access to media be curtailed immediately. There has been no public reaction from Indian officials yet, and the Indian side has previously asserted that India’s media is independent and not controlled by the government.
Observers note that Hasina has also granted interviews to British and French media, but those outlets have not faced similar diplomatic pushback from Dhaka. The incident underscores the fragility of India–Bangladesh ties amid a complicated political landscape in which Hasina’s status and her presence in India remain contentious issues for both governments.
As Dhaka seeks to manage the fallout, analysts say the episode highlights how media access can become a flashpoint in diplomacy, especially when it involves a former leader who remains a polarizing figure at home. The coming days are likely to reveal whether the dispute prompts any substantive changes to media engagement with Hasina or if it will be resolved through behind-the-scenes diplomacy.
Cover image source: Participatory democracy key condition for my return, Yunus harming ties with India: Sheikh Hasina 🔗
