• Bangladesh expresses shock over India's hosting of ex-PM Hasina's public address.
• Hasina’s address criticized as a threat to Bangladesh's political stability.
• Calls for her extradition remain unaddressed by India.
• General elections in Bangladesh are scheduled for February 12.
• Hasina labels interim PM Muhammad Yunus a "murderous fascist."

Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed being “surprised” and “shocked” that fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was allowed to address a public gathering in India. This event marks her first public address since fleeing to India following the collapse of her government in August 2024 during a student-led uprising. The ministry's statement condemned the event as a "clear affront to the people and the Government of Bangladesh," and characterized it as setting a "dangerous precedent" that risks impairing bilateral relations with India, according to Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.

In her address, Hasina accused interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus of being a "murderous fascist" and stated that Bangladesh would "never experience free and fair elections" under his leadership. Her comments, delivered to a crowd at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi, have heightened tensions ahead of the February 12 elections, which her Awami League party is barred from contesting. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry highlighted that her statements could destabilize the political situation in Bangladesh, according to India Times and Al Jazeera.

The Foreign Ministry further emphasized that allowing Hasina to speak from Indian soil contradicts the norms of good neighborly relations. Following her sentencing in absentia for serious crimes, including incitement and failure to prevent atrocities, Bangladesh has reiterated its request for Hasina's extradition, a matter that remains unresolved despite repeated appeals. The ministry described these events as detrimental to Bangladesh's democratic transition, as tensions grow in the lead-up to the polls, according to Channel News Asia and India Times.