5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 4, 2026 07:37 PM IST
Moving to address concerns in Dhaka, Delhi made it clear Tuesday it was neither involved in nor was it going to endorse any view aired during ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s public interaction scheduled Wednesday in the Capital. She is expected to announce her return home and outline her vision for Bangladesh.
The event, being held at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia, is timed to coincide with the second anniversary of the fall of the Hasina government on August 5, 2024.
Faced with widespread protests in Bangladesh, Hasina had fled the country. She has been living in India ever since. This is the second time she will be addressing the public via virtual mode in Delhi.
Bangladesh has sought India’s cooperation to ensure that Hasina, or anyone linked to her organisations that have been banned, is not allowed to use Indian territory to deliver political speeches or carry out activities aimed at creating instability in Bangladesh.
News agency Reuters reported Tuesday that Bangladesh Information Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman warned his country’s media that announcing or publicising Hasina’s planned speech would violate a December 2024 order by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal that prohibits media outlets and social media platforms from publishing or broadcasting Hasina’s speeches, statements, interviews, and audio or video messages.
Hasina aide Abu Obaidha Arin said the event would go ahead, adding that Dhaka’s “efforts to silence dissent cannot extinguish voices” beyond the country’s borders.
In New Delhi, responding to questions about Hasina’s scheduled interaction, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “The interaction you refer to is being organised by a private media entity. The government has no involvement whatsoever in it. Neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum.”
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This is a carefully calibrated response to an issue that is a diplomatic hot-button for the Bangladesh government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who is also chief of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Rahman’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir raised the issue of Hasina’s interaction during a meeting with Dinesh Trivedi, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, at the Prime Minister’s Office Monday.
Kobir said such activities could undermine the positive progress in Bangladesh-India relations. In response, Trivedi assured him that the matter would be considered appropriately, saying the Indian side would conduct the necessary inquiries and remain vigilant on the issue.
India and Bangladesh have been working towards repairing ties since February when Rahman’s BNP won the elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to congratulate him on his victory, which was followed by a phone call.
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Prior to the Bangladesh elections, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had travelled to Dhaka for the funeral of Rahman’s mother and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. After the elections, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, had attended Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony.
India has also invited Rahman to the summit of the BRICS leaders scheduled next month.
On Tuesday, Jaiswal confirmed the invitation. “You would be aware that a formal invitation for a bilateral visit to India was extended to the Bangladesh PM upon his assumption of office in February 2026. As far as the BRICS Summit is concerned, India has separately extended an invitation to Bangladesh PM in his capacity as the current Chair of BIMSTEC to attend the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi,” he said.
“The invitation has been extended as per the standard practice being followed in BRICS for the outreach sessions. Other heads of regional groups have also been invited in a similar manner,” he said.
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For Dhaka, however, the Hasina event in Delhi, where she and her Awami League leaders will get a platform, is a major political issue.
FCC president Waiel Awwad, in an invitation email, said the topic was “Sheikh Hasina’s Homecoming”. “In this exclusive engagement, Sheikh Hasina will address the international media virtually to announce her homecoming and outline her vision for Bangladesh,” he said.
Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, ousted Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, former Bangladesh cricketer and MP Shakib Al Hasan are among those who are to attend the session.
Last month, Hasina, facing a death sentence in Bangladesh where her party’s activities are banned, told Reuters that she and senior Awami League colleagues plan to return from exile in India around December and surrender.
Amid steps to restore ties
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Relations between Delhi and Dhaka dived after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government two years ago. The two countries have been trying to repair ties ever since Tarique Rahman took charge as PM earlier this year. Visa services have been restored and India has invited Rahman to the BRICS summit next month.