DHAKA: Diplomatic tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi escalated once again as Bangladesh summoned acting Indian high commissioner Pawan Badhe Thursday to lodge a formal protest over ousted PM Sheikh Hasina‘s “fabricated and provocative” comments made on Wednesday.
Hasina, who fled to India after the violent regime change in Aug last year, gave an online speech on Facebook Live – she accused Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim govt, of seizing power by “walking over dead bodies” – after a mob torched and demolished the once-revered residence-turned-memorial dedicated to the country’s founder and her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
In its protest note to Badhe, Bangladesh foreign ministry expressed “deep concern, disappointment and serious reservations”, noting Hasina’s “hostile” statements weren’t conducive to fostering healthy Dhaka-Delhi ties.
India “strongly condemned” the razing of Mujib’s memorial, calling it an “act of vandalism”. MEA said, “All those who value the freedom struggle that nurtured the ‘Bangla’ identity and pride are aware of the importance of this residence for the national consciousness of Bangladesh.”
About The Author
