Bangladesh summons Indian envoy over Hasina's media access

Dhaka [Bangladesh], November 13 (ANI): The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Dhaka, Pawan Badhe, to formally convey Bangladesh's serious concern over what they claim is the Indian government allowing former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to interact with the mainstream Indian media, State news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported.

"The ministry reportedly conveyed that harbouring such a notorious fugitive currently under trial for committing crimes against humanity and granting her a platform to spew hatred and advocate terrorist acts inside Bangladesh are unhelpful to fostering a constructive bilateral relationship between the two countries," the BSS report said, quoting sources.

"The Indian diplomat was asked to convey to New Delhi Bangladesh's request to immediately discontinue Hasina's access to media," the report said.

This development came after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's interviews with several Western and Indian media outlets, drew criticism from Shafiqul Alam, the official spokesperson for Bangladesh's Chief Adviser, in a Facebook post on November 11.

The Press Club of India had strongly condemned Alam's comments in which he referred to the reporters who interviewed Hasina as "Western journalists and their Indian bootlicking counterparts".

In a statement issued by the Press Club of India, it noted that the comments were "especially reprehensible" as Alam was a former journalist himself and describing journalists from the media outlets as "bootlicking" was "certainly not expected from a person in a responsible position."

"The official spokesperson of the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's government, Shafiqul Alam, has, in a Facebook post on November 11, 2025, referred to reporters from several outlets in India and abroad who recently interviewed former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina as 'Western journalists and their Indian bootlicking counterparts,'" the statement read.

"Such comments are especially reprehensible as Mr Alam is himself a former journalist. To describe professionals from responsible media outlets pursuing a genuine news story as "bootlicking" journalists is certainly not expected from a person in a responsible position," it added.

The Press Club of India also sought an apology from Alam after his statement. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs had refused to offer any comment on the matter.

In July 2024, a student-led uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina's government in Bangladesh and on August 5, 2024, the former Prime Minister fled to India, with an interim government subsequently formed under the leadership of Muhammad Yunus, as the Chief Adviser. (ANI)

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