Rishi Sunak has faced backlash after putting on a friendly display with Bangladesh’s hardline leader Sheikh Hasina Wazed at the G20 summit in Delhi.
The British Prime Minister was pictured kneeling close to the 76-year-old and engaging in an animated conversation, which supporters of Hasina hailed as an endorsement of a leader who has been in power since 2009.
Although Bangladesh is not a member of the G20, it was invited as a guest due to its status as an emerging economy and Hasina’s close ties with Narendra Modi, the Indian premier.
However, critics have slammed her attendance as a PR exercise designed to make her look triumphant on the international stage, mixing with the likes of Sunak and US President Joe Biden.
It comes as protests by Bangladesh opposition parties demanding a free and fair election have descended into violence – with angry protesters taking to the streets over recent months demanding that Hasina resign.
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