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Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus blames Indian media and social media misinformation for strained ties with India, urges legal handling of Hasina’s case.
Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said his interim government was committed to building good relations with India but lamented that “something always went wrong”, blaming misinformation in the Indian media for straining ties between the two neighbours.
Speaking at Chatham House in London during an interaction with the think tank’s director Bronwen Maddox, Yunus addressed a wide range of topics — from his country’s bilateral ties with India to the roadmap for restoring democracy, which he said would begin with a “July Charter” next month.
Responding to Maddox’s question on the informal diplomatic note reportedly sent to India regarding the extradition of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Yunus said, “This will continue… we want the whole process to be very legal, very proper… We want to build the best of relationship with India. It’s our neighbour, we don’t want to have any kind of basic problem with them.”
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“But somehow things go wrong every time because of all the fake news coming from the Indian press… and many people say it has connections with policymakers on the top,” he added.
“So, this is what makes Bangladesh very jittery, very, very angry. We try to get over this anger but a whole barrage of things keeps happening in cyberspace. We can’t just get away from that… suddenly they say something, do something, anger comes back,” Yunus said.
“This is our big task, to make sure we can have at least a peaceful life to go on with our life. To create the life we are dreaming of,” he added.
India’s “Unclear Role” in Hasina’s Case
When asked by a member of the audience about India’s role in relation to Hasina, Yunus claimed that “all the anger (against Hasina) has now transferred to India because she went there.”
He said he had conveyed his concerns to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly: “When I had a chance to talk to Prime Minister Modi, I simply said: you want to host her, I cannot force you to abandon that policy. But please help us in making sure she doesn’t speak to Bangladeshi people the way she is doing (online). She announces on such and such date, such and such hour, she will speak and the whole (of) Bangladesh gets very angry.”
According to Yunus, Prime Minister Modi responded that Hasina’s online activity could not be controlled. “It’s (an) explosive situation, you can’t just walk away by saying it’s the social media,” he added.
Hasina in Exile, Elections in 2026
The strained ties between Dhaka and New Delhi follow Hasina’s ouster on August 5 last year amid a massive student-led protest movement. She fled the capital and now faces several legal cases in Bangladesh.
Yunus, an 84-year-old Nobel Laureate, took charge as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government in August 2024 and announced last week that national elections would be held by the first half of 2026.
When asked if he would run or participate in the elected government, Yunus said, “No way.”
He arrived in the UK on Tuesday for a four-day visit, during which he is expected to meet King Charles III and senior British officials. His visit has sparked protests from members of Hasina’s Awami League in the UK.
