Even as India had categorically said it had “no involvement whatsoever” in Sheikh Hasina’s virtual media interaction in New Delhi, Bangladesh has strongly condemned the event, saying allowing the deposed Prime Minister to address the media from Indian soil despite Dhaka’s objections had hurt public sentiment in Bangladesh and undermined efforts to reset bilateral relations.In a sharply worded statement, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “outraged” that the “absconding convicted genocider” had been allowed to engage in a live interaction with journalists and launch what it described as “venomous vitriol” against the Bangladeshi state and its people.“Dhaka deeply regrets that in spite of concerns conveyed a priori to the Government of India about the likely ramifications of this event on the reset of our bilateral relations, this public event was permitted to be held,” the ministry said.The statement came a day after External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified that the interaction, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia, was a private event and that the Government of India neither organised nor endorsed it.Responding to Sheikh Hasina’s remarks, Dhaka said her rejection of the narrative surrounding the July-August 2024 uprising amounted to a denial of facts established by the United Nations.“The denial of facts established by the United Nations, including gruesome killing of innocent civilians, including minor children, during July-August 2024 by the fascist regime, stands as a futile attempt by the absconding convicted mass murderer Hasina and her criminal cohort to reverse the tide of history,” the statement said.The ministry described the event, held on the second anniversary of the July Revolution, as “an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh” and “a grievous insult to the martyrs of the July Revolution”.Reiterating its position on Hasina’s legal status, Dhaka said its repeated requests for her extradition under the 2013 India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty had not yet received a response from New Delhi.“Allowing her the opportunity to openly interact with the media under any pretext is deeply hurtful to our people’s sentiment and detrimental to the development of harmonious bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India,” it said.Even as it criticised the event, Bangladesh said it remained committed to maintaining a “constructive, mutually beneficial and forward-looking relationship” with India based on sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and national dignity.