Guwahati: Bangladesh, India’s immediate neighbour, saw turmoil after the death of young radical leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi amid anti-Bharat rhetoric. It is time that Sheikh Hasina apologized to Sanatani Hindus, as the country moves back toward normalcy as it prepares for its next general election.

The election is scheduled for 12 February 2026. It follows the overthrow of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a student-led mass uprising in July–August 2024. However, Hasina’s party, the Awami League, will not take part in the polls. The party ruled the Muslim-majority nation of around 170 million people for several terms.

Hasina, Party Members in India

Hasina and thousands of her party members remain in India. A Bangladeshi court sentenced her to death for crimes against humanity linked to last year’s rebellion. The unrest reportedly killed more than 1,400 people, including minors.

Dhaka’s interim regime, led by Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, has sent repeated communiqués seeking Hasina’s return. India remains non-committal on repatriation. The issue strained diplomatic relations between Dhaka and New Delhi. Bangladesh’s ties with India have worsened.

Anti-Hasina campaigners claimed the killers of Hadi entered India soon after a shooting attack in Dhaka on 12 December. Supporters later flew the Inqilab Mancha leader to Singapore for advanced treatment, but he died from his injuries on 18 December.

Police named Faisal Karim Masud as the prime accused. They linked him to the Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League, but he remains untraced. Many Bangladeshis believe, without evidence, that he received support and hospitality from New Delhi. Anger then turned against India. The report said motivated elements stepped up attacks on Hindu families in different parts of Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the killing of Deepu Chandra Das, 27, drew renewed attention. A mob in Bhaluka, in the Mymensingh area, killed the garment worker on 18 December after alleging unconfirmed derogatory remarks about Islam.

Another mob killed Uttam Kumar Barman, 45, a grocery shop owner in Rangpur, on 13 December over the same blasphemy allegation. The deaths triggered protests in India. Demonstrators rallied outside Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions and demanded justice. They also demanded protection for non-Muslims in Bangladesh.

The interim government called the Mymensingh killing a heinous criminal act with no justification. Education adviser Prof CR Abrar later visited Deepu’s family to convey sympathy and promise support. He said the government remained committed to the rule of law. Authorities arrested more than 10 people in connection with the crime.

A recent report by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) said Hasina’s presence in India fuels tension between the neighbours. The interim government began pressing for her extradition under a 2013 treaty soon after taking office, the report said. It added that Indian officials were unlikely to agree.

The ICG report suggested New Delhi did not want to “look like an unreliable ally to other governments in the region” by extraditing her. It said Dr Yunus personally urged Prime Minister Modi to stop Hasina from making political statements while in India. Yunus warned that her interventions in Bangladeshi politics looked unfriendly. The report said New Delhi did not receive the request well.

Awami League Activists

The ICG also said Dhaka felt aggrieved because thousands of Awami League activists continued political activity from Kolkata and New Delhi.

Hasina recently criticised the situation in Bangladesh. She described the Yunus-led interim government as a failed entity. She called the killings proof of lawlessness as the new norm. She said the interim government either denies the problem or lacks the power to address it.

Hasina alleged the authorities placed “extremists” in top positions. She claimed they released convicted terrorists and allowed international terrorists to play roles in public life. She also blamed the government for the strain with India.

Hasina also rejected calls to return to Bangladesh. She said she feared “political assassination” unless Dhaka installs a legitimate government that supports an independent judiciary. She thanked New Delhi for its hospitality since her departure last year.

India’s position on hosting Hasina remains clear. New Delhi says its stance follows its civilisational ethos and its tradition of offering refuge to people in grave distress or existential threat. India also said it remained concerned about Bangladesh’s deteriorating security situation, especially for religious minorities.

Question About Sanatani Hindus

That raises a question. Why should Hasina not apologise to the Sanatani Hindu community? During her tenure, she also failed to protect Hindus and other minorities, and their religious institutions, even while presenting herself as their protector.

Reports initially suggested she might move to a third country. To date, no country has offered her asylum. She also does not publicly thank New Delhi for rescuing her from possible death at Ganabhaban (PMO) on 5 August 2024. She remains in a Hindu-majority country for more than a year because no other nation has stepped forward to support her in distress.

India and its people may never ask for her apology. But should seeking forgiveness from Hindus across the subcontinent not rank as her priority?