The Indian government publicly denied on Wednesday that the banned Bangladesh Awami League is running political offices from New Delhi and Kolkata, as the interim administration of Bangladesh had said. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made it clear that India does not allow any political activities against other countries to take place on its soil.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry sent a statement asking India to take “immediate steps” to shut down what it dubbed the “political office(s) of the banned Bangladesh Awami League.” This started the diplomatic conflict. The Dhaka Tribune said that the Bangladeshi government said that Bangladeshi nationals in India were doing things against Bangladesh and asked for the offices to be closed. The interim administration in Bangladesh officially banned the Awami League, which was led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in May 2025.
The MEA’s statement read, “The Government of India is not aware of any anti-Bangladesh activities by supposed members of the Awami League in India or of any action that is against Indian law.” The ministry’s spokeswoman further said, “The Government does not allow political activities against other countries to be carried out from Indian soil.” According to news sources, this remark basically rejected Bangladesh’s claim as “misplaced.”
India’s response to the accusations was important, but it also made a big statement about the political situation in Bangladesh. The MEA said again that it wants “free, fair, and inclusive elections” to happen “as soon as possible” in Bangladesh so that the people’s will and mandate may be known. This public statement shows that India is very interested in the political stability of its neighbor and wants a democratic solution to the current political situation.
The exchange is a sign of diplomatic stress between the two countries, which have always had tight connections. India has stuck to its policy of not becoming involved in the internal affairs of other nations, but its call for elections and direct rejection of the claims from Dhaka show how things are changing in the area.