Chicago – August 11, 2026
India has formally denied any involvement in organising a virtual address by ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, describing the event as a private affair hosted by a media entity.
The planned virtual speech by Sheikh Hasina was intended to address the second anniversary of the July 2024 uprising that ousted her from power, while also discussing her potential return to Bangladesh and criticising the current interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
According to reports, Hasina’s address was titled “Sheikh Hasina’s Homecoming” and was organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi.
The speech also marked what she described as her first public appearance since fleeing Dhaka in August 2024. Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed outrage, stating that Hasina and “her henchmen launched venomous vitriol against the State of Bangladesh and her people” during the event.
Speaking at a news conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal stated that the government had “no involvement whatsoever” in the event and did not endorse any views expressed at the forum.
He clarified that the interaction was being organised by a private media entity, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia, and would feature Hasina alongside her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and other speakers.
Dhaka had previously warned India about the “likely ramifications” the event would have on bilateral ties, calling the timingâon the anniversary of the July Revolutionâ”an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh and a grievous insult to the martyrs.”
