Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s decision to skip the BRICS summit in India was “immature” and damaged Bangladesh’s national interest, former premier Sheikh Hasina has said, warning that foreign policy driven by personal reactions or short-term political calculations is inherently counterproductive.
Hasina said Bangladesh’s participation at the summit of the influential grouping could have opened up new opportunities for the country’s economic and social development, but that chance was lost. In an exclusive interview with PTI , Ms. Rahman’s refusal to attend the summit, it was very unfortunate, as relations between two countries cannot be determined by personal considerations or political sensitivities involving one individual.
The former Bangladesh Prime Minister said if her presence in New Delhi was the reason behind Mr.
That opportunity was lost,” she said. Questioning Mr. Rahman’s decision, Ms. New Delhi had extended an invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Rahman for the BRICS summit in his role as the current chair of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). However, Mr. “It was deeply unfortunate that Bangladesh chose not to participate. In my view, it was an immature decision and one that did not serve Bangladesh’s national interest,” Ms. “BRICS is not simply a diplomatic gathering. It brings together major emerging economies and creates opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, technology and development. By participating, Bangladesh could have gained valuable experience and opened new opportunities for its own economic and social development. What is the real reason behind such a decision?” she asked. Ms. Hasina also highlighted how her government’s foreign policy approach helped Bangladesh’s economic growth. “Friendship with one country never required hostility towards another. Bangladesh needs a mature, balanced and confident foreign policy. The India-Bangladesh relations came under some fresh strain after Ms. Following the event, Dhaka reiterated its demand for her extradition and even sought to link it with Mr. Rahman’s planned trip to India. New Delhi sought to distance itself from the event, saying it neither played a role in it nor endorsed Ms. Hasina’s comments. “The principle given by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, remains the best guide: friendship to all, malice to none. “China is also an important development partner. Japan, the United States, Europe, ASEAN and the Muslim world are all important to Bangladesh. The problem is not engagement with China or any other country. “It begins when anti-India rhetoric is encouraged for domestic politics. It begins when major decisions are taken without transparency,” she added. “The judiciary has been used for political revenge. Media freedom has been restricted. Law and order have weakened. Minorities feel unsafe. Extremist forces have regained space. “This is no longer only an Awami League issue. It is a national crisis. One of the country’s largest political forces has been banned. “The people of Bangladesh must be allowed to decide their own future through a free, fair and inclusive election. That is why my return will be significant. It will be a step towards returning Bangladesh to its people,” she added. At the same time, she admitted that her return to Bangladesh could be risky, as she was given a death sentence by a Bangladeshi court, but asserted that she was not afraid. “This is not the first time death has come close.
Rahman opted out of the summit, which took place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The 78-year-old Hasina, living in Delhi since she left Bangladesh following the collapse of her government in August, 2024 in the face of a massive anti-government agitation, also recalled, how then Prime Minister Ziaur Rahman visited New Delhi in 1979 even when she was staying in India. “Yet when he visited Delhi in 1979, I was living in Delhi. When he travelled to London in 1980, I was also in London. Hasina held a virtual media interaction in New Delhi on August 5. In 1975, my father, mother, brothers and almost my entire family were murdered. In 1981, despite military rule and intimidation, I returned to Bangladesh. There have been repeated assassination attempts, including the August 21, 2004, grenade attack, as well as imprisonment, conspiracy and political persecution,” the Awami League leader said.
Hasina said that a responsible government should “open doors for the country, not close them. Hasina said. The former prime minister said foreign policy cannot be conducted through personal reaction or short-term political calculation. “India is our closest neighbour and an important historic partner, but BRICS engagement is also about Bangladesh’s own place in the international community,” she noted. “After the assassination of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, along with members of my family on August 15, 1975, and the killing of the four national leaders inside Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, Ziaur Rahman came to power through an unconstitutional process,” Ms. Hasina said in response to written questions. My presence in either city did not prevent him from travelling there,” she said. “Relations between two countries cannot be determined by personal considerations or political sensitivities involving one individual,” she stressed. “During my tenure, we maintained strong relations with India while also expanding cooperation with China, Russia, Japan, the United States, Europe and many other partners,” she said. A responsible government should open doors for the country, not close them,” she said. The former prime minister also attacked the Rahman government for its overall foreign policy direction, and said it should be “independent, balanced and guided by national interest. India is Bangladesh’s closest neighbour and historic friend from the Liberation War,” she said. The problem begins when one relationship is used against another,” she said. The Awami League leader said Bangladesh is passing through a “grave national crisis as democratic space has been “closed”. The economy has suffered,” she said. Its leaders are in jail or forced into hiding,” she said. Earlier reporting noted: ‘Ties can’t hinge on one individual’: Hasina criticises Bangladesh’s Brics boycott ‘Deeply unfortunate’: Hasina on Bangladesh skipping Brics summit Earlier reporting noted: Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has called Dhaka’s decision to skip the Brics summit in India “deeply unfortunate”, saying the country’s participation could have opened new opportunities for its economic and social development. Earlier reporting noted: “Foreign policy cannot be conducted through personal reaction or short-term political calculation,” Hasina told PTI, commenting on Bangladesh’s absence from the summit.
“So why should my presence in Delhi prevent Ziaur Rahman’s son, Tarique Rahman, from coming to India today?
“Millions of its supporters have been denied normal political rights. A country cannot return to stability by excluding such a large section of its own people. Ms. “My return is part of the struggle to restore democracy, voting rights and the rule of law. It is the destruction of justice in Bangladesh.
The suffering is being felt across the country, but Awami League leaders, workers and supporters have faced an unprecedented burden of political persecution,” she said. Hasina, without divulging specific details of her return to Bangladesh, said she is going back to restore democracy. “Thousands have been jailed, many more have been forced into hiding, and families have lost homes, jobs, businesses and livelihoods simply because of their political identity,” she said. I want to stand beside the people of Bangladesh, fight for their rights, and help restore democracy, security and development in my country,” she said. A death sentence imposed through a politically motivated process, without a genuine opportunity to defend oneself, cannot be called justice,” she said.
“The greater concern today is not personal safety.
