News Brief
India Rejects Bangladesh’s Claim Of Allowing Awami League Activities On Its Soil, Reiterates Call For Free And Fair Elections
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (File Photo)
India has firmly rejected Bangladesh’s allegation that members of the Awami League are conducting anti-Bangladesh political activities from Indian soil, reported The Times Of India.
On Wednesday (20 August), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that it remains unaware of any purported Awami League members engaging in such acts within India.
In response to Dhaka’s claim that the Hasina-led party maintains offices in Delhi and Kolkata, the MEA reaffirmed that India does not allow political activities against other countries to be carried out from Indian soil and concluded that “the press statement by Interim govt of Bangladesh is thus misplaced.”
The ministry also reiterated India’s desire that “free, fair and inclusive elections will be held at the earliest in Bangladesh to ascertain the will and mandate of the people.”
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry urged that India must not permit or support any anti-Bangladesh activities in any manner and pressed for “an immediate closure of the political office(s) of the banned Awami League on Indian soil.”
The statement noted that Hasina—who faces trial in absentia in Bangladesh for “crimes against humanity”—had fled to India last year following a “mass uprising.”
It asserted that officials had noticed the “reported establishment of offices of the banned political party in Delhi and Kolkata.”
The interim government also alleged that “on 21 July, 2025, evening, under the garb of a nondescript NGO, some senior Awami League netas planned to hold a public outreach at the Delhi Press Club and eventually distributed booklets among the attending members of the press.”
Moreover, it charged that these actions form part of “growing anti-Bangladesh activities undertaken by the Awami League leadership from being based on Indian soil,” and that “many of senior leaders, absconding in criminal cases in Bangladesh on account of grievous crimes committed against humanity, remain in Indian territory.”
