Prime Minister's Assistant Press Secretary KM Nazmul Haque has said that no third country, including any African nation, has reportedly agreed to shelter ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
In a Facebook post on Friday (November 13), Nazmul claimed that India's efforts to relocate Hasina to a third country had failed, leaving New Delhi increasingly uncomfortable with her continued presence.
He named the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Finland, the United States, Belarus and Qatar among the countries that had reportedly declined to shelter her, adding that no African country had agreed either.
"The presence of Sheikh Hasina in Delhi is increasingly becoming an embarrassing issue for the Indian government. This is no longer a secret.''
He further claimed that India's position was coming under scrutiny internationally, with questions being raised over why it continues to shelter a former leader convicted in connection with allegations of genocide.
Referring to a BBC Bangla report, Nazmul said sending Hasina to a third country would have been the most favourable solution for India.
According to his account of the report, New Delhi had held discussions with several countries on the possibility of relocating Hasina, but those efforts had not succeeded.
He claimed that India was now considering Hasina's return to Bangladesh to face trial as the only realistic option.
Nazmul also alleged that Hasina was attempting to return to Bangladesh by relying on grassroots Awami League leaders, despite having left the country during the July-August uprising.
In his post, Nazmul Haque accused Hasina of abandoning thousands of party activists when she left power and fled the country.
He alleged that members of her family had been sent abroad ahead of her departure, while grassroots party leaders were left to face the consequences.
He also referred to remarks reportedly made by Hasina's son after her departure, quoting him as saying: "You know what is good or bad for you; we are no longer with you."
Nazmul further criticised the activities announced by the Awami League, whose political activities are currently banned, alleging that the party's leadership was putting its supporters in Bangladesh at further risk through announcements made while remaining abroad.
Warning Awami League activists still in the country, he wrote that a family which had used party workers to remain in power and abandoned them during a crisis was once again exposing grassroots supporters to danger in an effort to preserve its political existence.
He urged party supporters to reconsider their involvement in activities that could put themselves and their families at risk.
The claims regarding third-country relocation efforts and the positions of individual countries were made by Nazmul in his social media post.