Indus Valley Times

NEW DELHI,AUG 4 : India on Tuesday distanced itself from former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s planned virtual media interaction in New Delhi, saying the event is being organised by a private media entity and has no government backing.

Hasina is scheduled to address the media virtually on Wednesday evening from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, marking her first interaction with journalists since fleeing Dhaka on August 5, 2024, following the collapse of her government amid a massive anti-government uprising.

The clarification came a day after Bangladesh sought an explanation from New Delhi over the proposed event.

Dhaka has expressed concern that Hasina’s political activities from Indian soil could affect the recent improvement in bilateral ties.

“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,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Speaking on Monday, Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said Hasina’s public political activities from Indian territory could have a negative impact on relations between the two countries.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s foreign affairs adviser Humaiun Kobir had also said the proposed interaction from India could undermine the positive momentum seen in bilateral ties in recent months.

Hasina, 78, has remained in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024. Over the past several months, she has given a series of email interviews, but Wednesday’s event will be her first live media interaction. She is also expected to reiterate her plan to return to Bangladesh by the end of this year.

Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and several Awami League leaders, including Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and Shakib Al Hasan, are also expected to participate in the event.

Last November, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for alleged “crimes against humanity” linked to her government’s crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. Since the verdict, Bangladesh has repeatedly urged India to extradite her.

India-Bangladesh ties deteriorated sharply after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus assumed office following Hasina’s ouster. Relations have shown signs of recovery since Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office after his party’s sweeping victory in the February parliamentary elections, in which the Awami League was barred from contesting.

As part of efforts to rebuild ties, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, attended Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony in Dhaka on February 17. In April, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman visited India, marking the first high-level visit by a senior member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government since bilateral relations came under strain.

-PTI