Not aware of Bangladesh Awami League members operating in India, says MEA
Earlier in the day, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry claimed that the party had set up its offices in Delhi and Kolkata, and several of its senior leaders, allegedly absconding in criminal cases, 'remain in the Indian territory'.
'Any form of political activity campaigning against the interests of Bangladesh by Bangladeshi nationals, particularly by the absconding leaders/activists of a banned political party, staying on Indian soil, legally or illegally, including the establishment of offices is an unambiguous affront against the people and State of Bangladesh,' Dhaka stated.
Calling the claims 'misplaced', India's Ministry of External Affairs stated that New Delhi does not permit 'political activities against other countries to be carried out from Indian soil'.
'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,' added the ministry.
Hasina's Awami League government was ousted from power in August 2024 after several weeks of widespread student-led protests against the administration. She had been in power for 16 years before fleeing to India.
Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate economist, took over as chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government after Hasina fled.
In May, the interim government banned all activities of the Awami League, including its online platforms, under the country's anti-terrorism act.
Yunus has announced that Bangladesh will hold its next general elections in February 2026.
On Wednesday, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry said that the presence of Awami League leaders in India 'risks upholding the good-neighbourly relations driven by mutual trust and mutual respect, and lends serious implications for the political transformation underway in Bangladesh'.
It added that such developments 'might trigger public sentiment in Bangladesh', potentially affecting bilateral cooperation efforts between the two countries.
Activities by the banned BANGLADESH AWAMI LEAGUE on Indian soil risks long-term friendship and multifarious engagements between #Bangladesh & #India as also mutual trust and respect between two (🇧🇩-🇮🇳) #people. pic.twitter.com/nzVqKaajNE
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@BDMOFA) August 20, 2025
On July 10, Hasina was indicted by the country's International Crimes Tribunal for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the protests. She has been charged with having instigated mass killings.
In February, a United Nations report on the violence said that the Hasina government, the country's security and intelligence services and 'violent elements' associated with her Awami League party had 'systematically engaged in a range of serious human rights violations' during the agitation.
Of the 1,400 killed and thousands injured between July 1, 2024, and August 15, 2024, the vast majority were shot by Bangladesh's security forces, the UN report said. Of these, 12% to 13% killed were children.
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