India's former High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Veena Sikri, on Tuesday, 4 August sharply criticised the Bangladesh judiciary's handling of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's case, calling the trial a 'kangaroo court' proceeding and asserting that Hasina's wish to return to Dhaka and appeal her death sentence is entirely legitimate. Sikri also accused the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government of deliberately undermining bilateral ties with India.

The Death Sentence and Trial Concerns

Sheikh Hasina was convicted and awarded a death sentence by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in a trial conducted in absentia. Sikri argued that the tribunal lacked the authority to try Hasina and that the proceedings were fundamentally flawed. 'She has been given a death sentence by something described as a kangaroo court in Bangladesh. That court is not authorised to try her. They didn't allow her to bring her own defence,' Sikri said. She further noted that the court-appointed defence lawyer was, by her account, entirely passive during proceedings. The former diplomat called for a 'proper hearing' in which Hasina would be permitted to engage legal counsel of her own choosing.

Not Politics — A Question of Judicial Fairness

Sikri was categorical that Hasina's stated desire to return to Dhaka and file an appeal should not be framed as a political act. 'I don't consider it as a political activity. She just said she wants to go back,' she said. She pushed back on suggestions that Hasina's potential return could strain India-Bangladesh ties, questioning the very premise of such a warning. 'I don't understand, first of all, on what basis the BNP government is saying it will affect bilateral relations,' she remarked, adding that in her assessment, the BNP administration is itself 'not interested in having good bilateral relations with India.'

India's High Commissioner Faces Protocol Hurdles in Dhaka

Sikri also raised concerns about the treatment of Dinesh Trivedi, India's newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh, describing him as a cabinet-rank political appointee and 'almost like a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.' According to Sikri, upon Trivedi's arrival in Dhaka, Jamaat-e-Islami attempted to manufacture controversy over a statement he made. More significantly, she said, the Bangladesh government delayed granting him credentials for nearly three weeks — a duration she called 'quite unprecedented.' She further noted that the routine courtesy call by a new High Commissioner on the host country's Prime Minister had still not taken place. 'Our High Commissioner has not been able to talk directly to the Prime Minister. I don't think these are indications that Bangladesh wants good relations with India,' Sikri said.

BNP's Unfulfilled Assurances and the China Factor

Sikri also turned her attention to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, alleging that he had failed to honour pre-election commitments. These reportedly included lifting an executive order banning political participation by the Awami League and making India his first foreign visit as Prime Minister. 'He has not kept any of his assurances,' Sikri said. She added that Rahman's subsequent visit to China — and his agreement on projects she characterised as crossing India's 'security red line' — had further deepened concerns in New Delhi about the trajectory of the bilateral relationship.

What This Signals for India-Bangladesh Ties

The remarks from a seasoned former diplomat carry weight at a moment when India-Bangladesh relations are under considerable strain. The combination of diplomatic protocol snubs, unmet political assurances, and a high-profile death sentence against a leader historically close to India paints a picture of a relationship under deliberate stress. How New Delhi chooses to respond — and whether Dhaka recalibrates — will likely define the bilateral dynamic for the remainder of the current Bangladesh administration.