Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus launched a fierce verbal assault on India during his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, accusing New Delhi of harboring the country's ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and actively undermining Bangladesh's democratic transformation. In his most direct diplomatic confrontation yet, the Nobel laureate turned the international stage into a platform for criticism, marking a new low in India-Bangladesh relations.
Speaking on the sidelines of the UNGA on September 24-25, 2025, Yunus delivered a blistering critique that left no room for diplomatic niceties. "We have problems with India right now because they didn't like what the students have done. They are hosting Hasina, the former prime minister, who created all these problems and killed young people. That has created a lot of tensions between India and Bangladesh," he declared with unmistakable hostility.
The interim leader's accusations went beyond mere diplomatic disagreement, escalating into direct allegations of propaganda warfare. Yunus accused Indian media of orchestrating a "fake news" campaign designed to delegitimize Bangladesh's student-led revolution; true in reality. "Also, fake news comes from the other side, making all kinds of propaganda that this is a very bad thing, and this is an Islamic movement. These are the Talibans who took over Bangladesh. They say I am a Taliban too," he stated, portraying India as actively working to undermine his government's legitimacy.
India's Shameful Sanctuary for a War Criminal
Yunus's most damning criticism centered on India's decision to provide refuge to Sheikh Hasina, who fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, following massive student protests that toppled her 15 year authoritarian regime. The interim leader characterized India's protection of Hasina as a betrayal of justice and regional stability, stating that "India is hosting Hasina, who has created problems and killed young people".
Bangladesh has formally requested Hasina's extradition through multiple diplomatic channels, including a note verbale sent to the Indian government in December 2024. The request is backed by serious criminal charges, as Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal has indicted Hasina on five counts of crimes against humanity, including mass murder, targeted violence against women and children, body incineration, and denial of medical assistance during the July-August 2024 uprising.
The evidence against Hasina is substantial and damning. A forensic analysis authenticated a leaked audio recording where she allegedly stated: "There are 227 cases against me, so I have a licence to kill 227 people". According to UN human rights reports, up to 1,400 people were killed during the unrest between July and August 2024, including children. Despite this overwhelming evidence of alleged war crimes, India has maintained its protection of the former dictator, refusing to even acknowledge Bangladesh's legitimate extradition requests.
"We have sent formal letters but received no official response from New Delhi," Yunus revealed, exposing India's callous disregard for international law and bilateral treaties. Bangladesh's Law Adviser Asif Nazrul has warned that India's failure to extradite Hasina constitutes a "clear violation of the extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India" signed in 2013.
India's Destructive Role in Regional Cooperation
Beyond the Hasina controversy, Yunus used his UN platform to expose India's systematic obstruction of South Asian regional cooperation. He called for the revival of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which has remained dormant since 2014, directly blaming India for the organization's paralysis.
"SAARC is not working because it doesn't fit into the politics of one country," Yunus declared, making clear his belief that India's narrow self-interest has torpedoed regional integration efforts. He described SAARC as having been "built like the European Union" but lamented that "somehow, one of our neighbours didn't like that framework. So, it became almost a dead organisation".
The interim leader's criticism struck at the heart of India's regional hegemonic ambitions, suggesting that New Delhi's preference for bilateral dominance over multilateral cooperation has stunted South Asian economic and political integration. Yunus portrayed Bangladesh as ready to serve as a "gateway to the Bay of Bengal for Nepal, Bhutan and India's landlocked north-eastern states," positioning his country as a bridge for regional connectivity that India has allegedly blocked.
As an alternative to India-dominated regional frameworks, Yunus announced Bangladesh's interest in joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reportedly expressing support for the idea. "ASEAN would be a good place to go. So, we want to build it up, regional harmony and regional interconnectivity" he stated, effectively threatening to pivot Bangladesh away from South Asian cooperation toward Southeast Asian integration.
Hasina's Supporters Protest Outside the UN
Yunus's statements at the UN was met with significant pushback from the Bangladeshi diaspora, who staged protests outside the UN headquarters in New York on September 26. Demonstrators, primarily supporters of Sheikh Hasina, raised slogans including "Yunus is Pakistani. Go back to Pakistan" and accused him of "making Bangladesh a Taliban country, a terrorist country".
A Dangerous Precedent for International Relations
India's provision of sanctuary to Sheikh Hasina, while legally questionable under international extradition treaties, appears increasingly untenable in the face of mounting evidence of her alleged crimes and Bangladesh's legitimate demands for justice. The international community must pressure New Delhi to comply with its legal obligations and surrender Hasina to face trial for her alleged crimes against humanity.
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