India has never allowed territory to be used for activities inimical to people of Bangladesh: MEA

India has never allowed its territory to be used for activities inimical to the interests of the people of Bangladesh, New Delhi said on Sunday.

The statement came after Dhaka alleged that deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August 2024 after protests in her country, had made “incendiary” remarks that were inciting her supporters to carry out “terrorist” attacks to “thwart” the parliamentary elections scheduled for February in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma on Sunday to express its “serious concern” about the alleged statements made by Hasina, PTI reported. It also reiterated its demand for her “expeditious extradition”, The Hindu reported.

Later in the day, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that New Delhi “categorically rejects” the assertions made by Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus.

It reiterated that New Delhi had consistently supported “free, fair, inclusive and credible elections” in Bangladesh held in a peaceful atmosphere.

“We expect that the interim government of Bangladesh will take all necessary measures for ensuring internal law and order, including for the purpose of holding peaceful elections,” the ministry said.

Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India on August 5, 2024, after weeks of widespread student-led protests against her Awami League government. She had been in power for 16 years.

Yunus, a Nobel laureate economist, took over as chief adviser of the interim government three days after Hasina resigned.

Bangladesh has been seeking her repatriation since the fall of her government. The demand became a formal request after Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal were sentenced to death by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal on November 17.

The tribunal found Hasina guilty of crimes against humanity for the deadly crackdown on the protests. The verdict was the first in a series of four cases related to alleged crimes committed during her government’s response to the agitation.

Hasina had described the tribunal as biased and politically motivated, and denied ordering security forces to fire on protesters.

In February, a United Nations report said that Hasina’s government, the country’s security and intelligence services and “violent elements” associated with her Awami League party had “systematically engaged in a range of serious human rights violations” during the agitation in 2024.

Of the 1,400 killed and thousands injured between July 1, 2024, and August 15, 2024, the vast majority were shot by Bangladesh’s security forces, the UN report had said. Of these, 12% to 13% killed were children.

Bangladesh is also scheduled to hold its 13th national election on February 12. Yunus has said that he would step down once an elected government takes office.

The last elections in the country were held in January 2024, when Hasina returned to office for a fourth consecutive term. The Awami League had won 222 out of the 300 elected seats in Parliament.

Notably, the vote was boycotted by her main rivals, who accused her administration of rigging the result.

In May, Bangladesh’s interim government banned all activities of the Awami League, including its online platforms, under the country’s anti-terrorism act.

Hasina had in October described the decision as unjust and warned that it could undermine the legitimacy of the vote. She also warned that millions of her supporters would boycott the general election unless her party is allowed to participate

“The next government must have electoral legitimacy,” she had said at the time. “Millions of people support the Awami League, so as things stand, they will not vote. You cannot disenfranchise millions of people if you want a political system that works.”