From left, Director for Bangladesh Human Rights Watch USA Shah Md Bakhtiar, veteran International Journalist and Political Analyst Waiel Awwad, General Secretary of Bangladesh Human Rights Watch Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, former Bangladesh education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and writer and political analyst Abu Obaidha Arin with others during a virtual press conference of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in New Delhi on August 5, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
A day after the Bangladesh government said it was “outraged” by the press conference that deposed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Delhi on Wednesday (August 6, 2026), officials in New Delhi maintained that the Indian government’s policy remains the same and reiterated that India had no involvement in the event.
During the press conference, Ms. Hasina had alleged that the interim government led by Prof. Mohammed Yunus had sought to “erase the Liberation War” and the memory of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She also targeted the current Bangladesh Nationalist Party government led by Tarique Rahman, saying it had taken power after a “staged election”.
Responding to a question from The Hindu about whether Ms. Hasina regrets the deaths and destruction of the last weeks of her tenure in July and August 2024, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy pointed to the indemnity law passed by the interim administration that granted immunity to all anti-Hasina protesters. “The day the killers of police officials are arrested, the Awami League will apologise,” he said.
‘Grievous insult’
At the same time as Ms. Hasina’s press event was being held at the FCC, the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi organised an event in memory of the students who died in the mass uprising in July 2024. In Bangladesh, firebombs were hurled, and windows were smashed at former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan’s residence after he spoke through video link at Ms. Hasina’s press conference.
Following the event, the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement describing the event and Ms. Hasina’s accusations “as an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh and a grievous insult to the martyrs of the July Revolution.” It added: “Dhaka deeply regrets that despite the concerns conveyed a priori to the Government of India about the likely ramifications of this event on the reset of our bilateral relations, this public event was permitted to be held.”
Bangladesh Interior Minister Salahuddin Ahmed also questioned the Indian government’s role, saying, “Why India gave opportunity to Hasina to hold the press conference is all that I want to ask.”
Read | I am worried about the future of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina on why she wants to return to Bangladesh
Bangladesh PM visit not confirmed
The Bangladesh Ministry’s remarks put a spotlight on the wider bilateral relationship and on India’s invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit New Delhi to attend the BRICS summit. Bangladesh has not confirmed Mr. Rahman’s visit yet.
On Tuesday (August 4, 2026), External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had described Ms. Hasina’s event as an initiative by a ‘private media entity’ and explained that the Indian government had no involvement in the event.
Sources maintained the same position after the event, indicating that India considers Bangladesh’s domestic politics as an arena where there should be no interference from the Indian side, opining that the exchanges between the Awami League and its leader Sheikh Hasina and the government of Bangladesh are for them to resolve.
Published – August 06, 2026 10:14 pm IST
