Bangladesh’s Yunus Blames India For Strained Ties, Says Hosting Hasina Fuelling Tensions

<p>Bangladesh&rsquo;s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has accused India of straining relations with Dhaka, alleging that New Delhi disapproved of last year&rsquo;s protests that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.</p>
<p>Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate claimed India&rsquo;s decision to shelter Hasina has become a key source of friction between the neighbours.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We have problems with India right now because they did not like what the students have done,&rdquo; Yunus said, according to NDTV. &ldquo;India is hosting Hasina, who has created problems&hellip; that creates tension between India and Bangladesh.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Yunus further accused Indian media of spreading disinformation about the political movement that forced Hasina from power. &ldquo;A lot of fake news is coming from India, propaganda that it&rsquo;s an Islamist movement,&rdquo; he alleged.</p>
<h2>Hasina in Exile in India</h2>
<p>On August 5, 2024, Hasina&rsquo;s 16-year rule with the Awami League ended after a violent mass uprising swept across Bangladesh. The ousted leader fled Dhaka and has since been living in self-exile in New Delhi.</p>
<p>Bangladesh&rsquo;s interim government has filed a series of criminal cases against Hasina and senior Awami League leaders &mdash; charges that international human rights groups have described as politically motivated. Dhaka has requested Hasina&rsquo;s extradition, but India has yet to respond.</p>
<h2>Relations at a Low Point</h2>
<p>Since Yunus took charge of the caretaker administration, ties between India and Bangladesh have sharply deteriorated. Both sides have traded barbs over Dhaka&rsquo;s treatment of minorities and accusations that the interim setup has allowed radical groups to operate freely.</p>
<p>Yunus has dismissed those claims as &ldquo;exaggerated,&rdquo; but the rift marks one of the lowest points in bilateral relations in recent years.</p>