Dhaka flags concerns over Awami League operations from Indian soil; MEA says concerns ‘misplaced'

The Print

8 hours ago

It added that the Indian government 'does not allow political activities against other countries to be carried out from Indian soil'.
Hours after Dhaka formally urged New Delhi to act against exiled Awami League members allegedly operating from Indian soil and engaging in 'anti-Bangladesh activity', the MEA said in a statement issued Wednesday that the Government of India 'is not aware of any anti-Bangladesh activities by purported members of the Awami League in India or of any action that is contrary to Indian law'.
New Delhi: Responding to Dhaka's concerns about exiled Awami League members operating from Indian soil, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Wednesday dismissed these concerns as 'misplaced'. The Awami league, led by deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was banned in May by the interim administration of which Muhammad Yunus is chief adviser. Many of its members fled to India and were thereafter declared absconding.
Terming Dhaka's concerns 'misplaced', the MEA also reiterated India's stance: 'We expect that free, fair and inclusive elections will be held at the earliest in Bangladesh to ascertain the will and mandate of the people.'
Earlier in the day, the Bangladesh foreign ministry had in a statement said continued presence and operations of exiled Awami League members on Indian soil risk undermining the 'mutual trust and respect' that underpin the two countries' close bilateral relations.
It labelled the actions as 'an unambiguous affront against the people and State of Bangladesh,' adding that it 'may also trigger public sentiment in Bangladesh which may in turn impact the ongoing efforts of the two countries in further enhancing the relationship between the two closest neighbors'.
Dhaka's concerns come amid reports of growing activity by exiled Awami League leaders in India, particularly in Kolkata's New Town area, where many former ministers, MPs, and senior leaders of the party have allegedly taken refuge following the political transition in Bangladesh.
A BBC Bangla report mentioned that according to senior Awami League leaders, 'it is a commercial office now being used as a party office' in Kolkata.
According to Bangladeshi officials, many of these leaders are facing serious criminal charges, including accusations of crimes against humanity, and are evading arrest by remaining abroad. According to the statement, on 21 July, senior members of the banned party attempted to hold a public outreach event under the banner of a non-governmental organisation at Delhi's Press Club where booklets critical of the Yunus administration were reportedly distributed, drawing sharp condemnation from Dhaka.
The said event was supposed to take place on 22 July but was later cancelled on account of the Milestone air crash in Bangladesh, where a military jet crashed into the premises of a school, killing at least 35.
As ThePrint reported earlier, a former central committee member of the party, speaking anonymously, claimed that more than 2,000 individuals including politicians, journalists, civil society activists, army officers, and diplomats, have fled the country since the change in power.
Of these, around 1,300 are believed to be in India, most of them settled in New Town, Kolkata. The area's modern infrastructure and proximity to the airport have reportedly made it an attractive base for the exiled political class.
In October 2024, public attention in Bangladesh was drawn to the issue when reports surfaced that former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan had been seen at Nicco Park, a well-known amusement park in Kolkata. Khan, who had been implicated in several cases linked to the July-August 2024 Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, had not officially left Bangladesh, prompting questions over how he crossed the border.
There are contested claims on the office space. A former legislator from Cox's Bazar, now living in New Town, acknowledged renting a common meeting space but rejected the notion that it was a formal office.
'There are almost 1,300 party leaders in Kolkata. We can't possibly meet at the former Home Minister's living room,' he said, referring to Khan's apartment where party meetings are also held. 'But to call it an office would be a gross exaggeration.'
Despite these denials, Bangladeshi officials insist that such activities pose a direct challenge to the nation's political stability and bilateral ties with India. They warn that public sentiment in Bangladesh could be adversely affected, potentially derailing ongoing efforts to deepen cooperation between the two neighbors.
'The Government of Bangladesh would urge upon the Government of India to take immediate steps to ensure that no anti-Bangladesh activity is undertaken by any Bangladeshi national from being on Indian soil, including not permitting or supporting any such activities in any manner and an immediate closure of the political office(s) of the banned Bangladesh Awami League on Indian soil,' the statement read.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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