'Bangladesh will stand on the world stage with dignity'

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's adviser Mahdi Amin on Thursday defended Bangladesh's sharply worded diplomatic response to India over a live media interaction by ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi, saying it reflected the aspirations of the July Revolution for a sovereign and self-respecting Bangladesh.

In a post on his verified Facebook page, Amin said one of the central aspirations of the July Revolution was to establish "an independent, sovereign and democratic Bangladesh" where "there would be no place for a subservient foreign policy."

"In both bilateral and multilateral engagements, national interests would take precedence, with relationships built on the principles of equality and fairness. Bangladesh would stand on the world stage as a nation defined by dignity, confidence and self-respect," he wrote.

Referring to Dhaka's reaction after India allowed Hasina to address journalists through a live audio interaction at an event in New Delhi, Amin said the Foreign Ministry's response was "a reflection of that very sovereign and dignified Bangladesh."

He said the country's foreign policy was advancing under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's "Bangladesh First" policy, while carrying forward what he described as the historic legacy of sovereignty championed by martyred President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday issued one of its strongest statements against New Delhi in recent years, saying it was "outraged" that "the absconding convicted genocider Sheikh Hasina" had been allowed to engage in a live interaction with the media in the Indian capital.

The ministry said Dhaka had conveyed its concerns to the Indian government beforehand about the possible impact of the event on efforts to reset bilateral relations, but the program was nevertheless allowed to proceed.

Calling the event "an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh and a grievous insult to the martyrs of the July Revolution," the ministry also accused Hasina of attempting to deny "facts established by the United Nations" regarding the killings during the July-August 2024 uprising, describing it as "a futile attempt" to reverse history.

The statement came hours after Hasina, speaking publicly for the first time since her ouster in August 2024, addressed journalists remotely from India at an event organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Club in New Delhi.

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