The Indian government on Tuesday sought to distance itself from an event titled “Sheikh Hasina Homecoming”, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 5 August and organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia, in which deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to participate virtually.
According to the organisers, Hasina is scheduled to deliver an address to journalists and take part in a question-and-answer session.
Responding to a question during the Ministry of External Affairs’ weekly media briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the event was being organised by a private media entity and had no connection with the Indian government.
“The interaction that you are referring 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,” he said.
The clarification came a day after Bangladesh formally conveyed its concern to New Delhi that any political statement or activity by Sheikh Hasina from Indian territory could adversely affect bilateral relations.
During a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi on Monday, Foreign Adviser to the Prime Minister Humayun Kabir urged India to ensure that members of banned organisations, including the fugitive former prime minister, are not allowed to use Indian territory for political activities aimed at destabilising Bangladesh.
Diplomatic analysts said New Delhi’s statement made clear that the Indian government did not officially sponsor or endorse the event. However, they noted that the response did not address the broader issue raised by Dhaka — whether Hasina should be allowed to engage in political activities from Indian soil.
Some analysts argued that while India had publicly disassociated itself from the event, allowing the former prime minister to participate in a political programme from its territory could still be interpreted in Bangladesh as tacit acceptance.
Others cautioned against drawing definitive conclusions, noting that the Indian government’s statement was limited to clarifying its non-involvement and did not indicate any official position on Sheikh Hasina’s participation.
The issue has emerged at a sensitive time, as Dhaka and New Delhi seek to rebuild bilateral relations after months of diplomatic strain, making the handling of politically sensitive issues increasingly significant.
