India on Thursday condemned the demolition of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence in Dhaka, calling it an act of vandalism that must be “strongly condemned”.

“It is regrettable that the historic residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, a symbol of the heroic resistance of the people of Bangladesh against the forces of occupation and oppression, was destroyed on February 5, 2025,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. “All those who value the freedom struggle that nurtured Bangla identity and pride are aware of the importance of this residence for the national consciousness of Bangladesh.”

This came hours after Dhaka summoned India’s acting high commissioner and lodged a strong protest against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s remarks from India, calling them “false, fabricated, and instigating instability” in Bangladesh.

Hasina, Rahman’s daughter, fled Dhaka for New Delhi on August 5 after weeks of student-led protests against her Awami League government that left 560 people dead. She had been prime minister for 16 years.

Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as chief adviser of the country’s interim government on August 8.

Hasina, in a speech broadcast by the Awami League on Thursday, accused Yunus of planning to murder her, reported The Hindu. Hasina said that Bangladesh had become a “land of terrorists and militants”.

Her comments came hours after a group of protesters demolished Rahman’s home in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi neighbourhood, which had been converted into the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum. The building was demolished using heavy machinery. Police were present at the site but did not intervene, according to The Hindu.

The Bangladesh foreign ministry said it handed a protest note to Indian envoy Pawan Badhe and conveyed its “deep concern, disappointment, and serious reservation” over Hasina’s comments.

“Such activities by her are considered a hostile act towards Bangladesh,” the ministry said in a statement, urging India to “immediately take appropriate measures” to stop her from making “false, fabricated and incendiary statements” on social media and other platforms.

“A game of destruction has started around Bangladesh, which is going through a phase of chaos and upheaval,” Hasina said in her speech, describing the Yunus-led government as “completely unconstitutional”.

She claimed that Yunus “has come to power using money power and by stepping on the dead bodies of many people of our country” and accused him of “meticulous planning…to kill me and my sister [Sheikh Rehana].”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh in its protest note said that Hasina’s comments were “hurting the sentiments” of the country.

In a statement on social media, the ministry said that it told the Indian Acting High Commissioner that such statements by Hasina were not conducive to a healthy relationship between the two countries.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested the Government of India to immediately take appropriate measures, in the spirit of mutual respect and understanding, to stop her from making such false, fabricated and incendiary statements using social media and other communications while she is in India,” the statement added.

On the same day, Bangladesh Home Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that legal processes were underway to extradite Hasina and others from India.

“We are arresting those who are staying in the country,” Chowdhury said. “The main person [Hasina] is not in the country. How we would arrest them who are abroad?”

“We are trying to bring back those who are under trial on charges of crimes against humanity at the International Crimes Tribunal,” Chowdhury added.

On January 6, the International Criminal Tribunal in Bangladesh issued arrest warrants against Hasina and 11 others, including former military generals and an former police chief, for their alleged role in enforced disappearances during the 16 years of Awami League rule.

More than 60 complaints related to enforced disappearances, murders and mass killings were filed at the tribunal against Hasina and leaders of the Awami League, among others.

This was the second warrant the tribunal had issued against the deposed prime minister. The first one was issued on October 17 against Hasina and 45 others on charges of crimes against humanity during the protests between July 15 and August 5.

On January 7, the interim government revoked the passports of Hasina and 96 others for their alleged role in cracking down on protestors during the protests.

The passports were revoked weeks after the interim government said on December 23 that it had sent a note verbale, or an unsigned diplomatic communique, to India formally seeking Hasina’s extradition.