Is New Delhi Offering Space To Hasina And Her Party Leaders In India?

By Nava Thakuria, New Age Islam 23 August 2025 A year back, when a mass uprising in Bangladesh ousted the sitting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and following which the Awami League party chief was compelled to take shelter in India, a few (probably none) political observers thought, the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had to stay in the neighbouring country for more than a year. More precisely, the Union government in New Delhi has not yet announced that Hasina is given official shelter in India. By now Hasina’s passport has been suspended by the interim government of Bangladesh and hence her movement needed to be restricted. Meanwhile, the Muhammad Yunus-led caretaker government in Dhaka continues pursuing Hasina’s deportation to face trials in her home country following hundreds of police complaints lodged against her along with many associates. Shaikh Hasina ----- The recent initiative by Dhaka also shocked the people of India, where the regime alleged that many Hasina supporters were taking shelter in Kolkata and Delhi and even they are running offices in both the busy cities. An official statement issued by the Bangladesh ministry of foreign affairs on 20 August 2025 stated that Dhaka’s attention was drawn to ‘reports of offices of the banned political party Bangladesh Awami League being established’ in Delhi and Kolkata. This development occurs against the backdrop of growing anti-Bangladesh activities by Awami League leaders from the Indian territory, said the statement, alleging that many senior Awami League leaders were taking shelter in India. It also asserted that any form of political activity and campaigning against the interest of Bangladesh by its nationals, particularly by absconding leaders or activists from a banned political party, staying on Indian soil, legally or illegally, including the establishment of offices, constitutes an unambiguous affront to the people and State of Bangladesh. This development also risks upholding the good-neighbourly relations with India, driven by mutual trust and respect, the statement added. Finally Dhaka also asked New Delhi to take immediate steps to prevent any anti-Bangladesh activities by Bangladeshi nationals from the Indian soil, including an immediate closure of political office(s) of the banned Awami League inside India. However, India’s ministry of external affairs swiftly dismissed the allegation as misplaced and clarified that New Delhi never allows political activities against other countries to be carried out from Indian soil. “We are not aware of any anti-Bangladesh activities by purported members of the Awami League in India or of any action contrary to Indian law,” said the ministry spokesperson, while addressing the media in Delhi recently, adding that India expects a free, fair and inclusive elections held at the earliest in Bangladesh to ascertain the will and mandate of its citizens. Bangladesh chief election commissioner recently announced that the next general elections will be held in the first week of February 2026. The interim government’s chief adviser Prof Yunus has already made it clear that the authority will enable all eligible citizens, including those living abroad, to cast their votes in a festive atmosphere to elect their representative for the 300-member Jatiya Sansad. He also declared that no position, whether elected or appointed, will be accepted by him after the polls. However, speculations surfaced that Prof Yunus will be a unanimous choice for the post of President (of People's Republic of Bangladesh) after the current head of the state Mohammed Shahabuddin completes his term by next two years. The news relating to the temporary offices of Awami League in Kolkata and Delhi were spread by a number of Bangladeshi media outlets which quoted a recent BBC Bangla report. Those outlets claimed that over 2000 Awami League ministers and leaders along with retired bureaucrats, army & police officers, law practitioners and others are taking shelter in India with extended medical and tourist visas. They have rented common accommodations to assemble regularly and discuss in personal meetings or with digitally connected leaders based in other parts of the world. On one occasion, Hasina also reportedly addressed the small gathering. Now will it be possible with no patronage from New Delhi, a question remains relevant at this moment. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/space-hasina-party-leaders-india/d/136577 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism