B'desh lodges protest with India over Hasina's activities during her stay

Bangladesh on Thursday lodged a protest with India over the "false and fabricated statements" made by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina during her stay in India, the foreign ministry here said.

The development comes a day after Hasina delivered a speech via social media on Wednesday night in which she called upon the countrymen to organise a resistance against the current regime. 

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it lodged a "strong protest with the Government of India over the false fabricated comments and statements continuously being made in different platforms including social media, by the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, instigating instability in Bangladesh".

The protest note, handed over to the Acting High Commissioner of India in Dhaka, conveys the "deep concern, disappointment and serious reservation" of Bangladesh, as such statements are "hurting the sentiments" of the people in the country, the statement said.

The ministry also emphasised that such activities by her, are considered as a "hostile act towards Bangladesh and are not conducive to the efforts at establishing a healthy relationship between the two countries".

Hasina, 77, has been living in India since August 5 last year when she fled Bangladesh following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's 16-year regime.