VOI World/ Desk
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stated in her first interview since being ousted that she is living freely in New Delhi but will remain in India unless a legitimate government is installed in Bangladesh.
Hasina fled Bangladesh last year amid a violent student-led uprising and has since been residing in India under protective custody. She made clear that she would not return if the upcoming elections exclude her party, the Awami League, warning of a mass voter boycott if it is barred from contesting.
She also reflected on her family’s history of political violence – including the 1975 assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – saying that while she enjoys freedom of movement in India, she remains cautious.
For India, her stay has sensitive implications. New Delhi now finds itself hosting an exiled South Asian leader amid diplomatic complexity with Dhaka. The situation brings into focus India’s role in regional politics, its bilateral relationship with Bangladesh and the broader Indo-Pacific strategic landscape under the leadership of Indian PM Narendra Modi.
