'She has to keep silent in India till...' : Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus underscores conditions for Sheikh Hasina's return

He asserted that Hasina should remain silent to avoid causing discomfort to both nations until Dhaka requests her extradition.

"If India wants to keep her until Bangladesh wants her back, the condition would be that she must stay quiet," Yunus stated.

In an interview with PTI at his official residence in Dhaka, Yunus, who was appointed Chief Advisor after Hasina's removal from power, emphasised that while Bangladesh values its strong relationship with India, New Delhi must move "beyond the narrative that portrays every political party except the Awami League as Islamist and that the country will become like Afghanistan without Sheikh Hasina."

In an interview with PTI at his official residence in Dhaka, Yunus, who was appointed the country's Chief Advisor after Hasina's ouster, stressed that while Bangladesh values strong ties with India, New Delhi must move “beyond the narrative that portrays every other political party except Awami League as Islamist and that the country will turn into Afghanistan without Sheikh Hasina.” "No one is comfortable with her stance there in India because we want her back to try her. She is there in India and at times she is talking, which is problematic. Had she been quiet, we would have forgotten it; people would have also forgotten it as she would have been in her own world. But sitting in India, she is speaking and giving instructions. No one likes it,” he said.

Yunus was apparently referring to Hasina's statement on August 13, in which she called for "justice" and demanded that those responsible for the recent "terror acts," killings, and vandalism be investigated, identified, and punished.

“It is not good for us or for India. There is discomfort regarding it,” he told PTI.

After unprecedented anti-government protests that culminated on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India. Her nearly four-week stay in India has sparked speculation in Bangladesh.

When asked whether Bangladesh has communicated its position to India, Yunus stated that it has been conveyed verbally and quite firmly that she should remain silent.

“Everyone understands it. We have said quite firmly that she should keep quiet. This is an unfriendly gesture towards us; she has been given shelter there and she is campaigning from there. It is not that she has gone there on a normal course. She has fled following a people's uprising and public anger,” he said.

When discussing the future of India-Bangladesh relations, Yunus expressed a desire for strong ties with India but emphasized that New Delhi must move away from the narrative that only Hasina's leadership guarantees the country's stability.

“The way forward is for India to come out of the narrative. The narrative is that everybody is Islamist, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is Islamist, and everyone else is Islamist and will make this country into Afghanistan. And Bangladesh is in safe hands with Sheikh Hasina at the helm only. India is captivated by this narrative. India has to come out of this narrative. Bangladesh, like any other nation, is another neighbour,” he said.

The minority Hindu community has experienced vandalism of their businesses and properties, as well as the destruction of temples, during the student-led violence that erupted after Hasina's ouster.

In his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed hope for a return to normalcy in violence-hit Bangladesh and stated that 1.4 billion Indians are concerned about the safety of Hindus and other minorities in the neighbouring country.

“We need to work together to improve this relationship, which is now at a low,” he said.

The 84-year-old Nobel laureate stressed the importance of India and Bangladesh working together to improve their currently strained relations.

When asked about ways to enhance ties between the two countries, Yunus noted that cooperation is essential, but acknowledged that the relationship is currently deteriorating.