DHAKA — Bangladesh's transitional government chief, Muhammad Yunus, has called on former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to refrain from making political statements while in India, stating that her remarks are causing discomfort between the two neighboring countries.

In an interview with the Press Trust of India, Yunus described Hasina's political commentary as an "unfriendly gesture" and emphasized that she should "remain silent" to avoid straining relations until Bangladesh formally requests her extradition.

Hasina fled to India on August 5 following widespread protests against her 15-year rule in Bangladesh.

She has since made only one public statement, in which she claimed that the US was involved in her ouster after she refused to hand over Saint Martin Island, a move that would have increased US influence in the Bay of Bengal—a claim the US has denied.

Yunus, who was appointed as the head of the transitional government after Hasina’s departure, stressed the importance of maintaining strong ties with India and urged New Delhi to move beyond the narrative that portrays any political party other than Hasina’s Awami League as Islamist.

The current government has indicated it may request Hasina’s extradition should it become necessary for legal proceedings, which include numerous charges against her and her officials, such as murder and crimes against humanity.

The call for Hasina’s silence comes amid political turbulence in Bangladesh, marked by the resignation of the chief election commissioner and four other commissioners, who described the January 7 election that extended Hasina’s tenure as “controversial” and lacking political inclusiveness. — Agencies