Bangladesh summons Indian envoy over Hasina’s interactions with media

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned India’s deputy high commissioner in Dhaka and expressed “serious concern” over deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s interaction with mainstream Indian media.

Hasina, 78, faces multiple cases in Bangladesh after being ousted in August last year following nationwide violent protests led by students. She fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year and is currently residing in India. Hasina’s supporters say the charges against her are politically motivated.

“The foreign ministry today summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe to formally convey Bangladesh’s serious concern over the Indian government allowing absconding premier Sheikh Hasina to interact with the mainstream Indian media,” the state-run BSS news agency reported, quoting a high-level unnamed diplomatic source. In the last few days, Hasina has given interviews to some prominent international and Indian media outlets.

The Indian diplomat was asked to convey to New Delhi Bangladesh’s request to immediately discontinue Hasina’s access to the media, the news agency said. The foreign ministry reportedly conveyed that harbouring such a “fugitive currently under trial for committing crimes against humanity and granting her a platform to spew hatred and advocate terrorist acts inside Bangladesh are unhelpful to fostering a constructive bilateral relationship between the two countries,” it added.