Modi govt distances itself from Hasina event amid strain in India-Bangla ties

The Narendra Modi government on Tuesday sought to publicly distance itself from an upcoming press conference by Bangladesh's deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as the event threatens to become another flashpoint in increasingly fragile relations between New Delhi and Dhaka.

Responding to questions during the Ministry of External Affairs' weekly briefing, official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed that the government had "no involvement whatsoever" in the interaction, describing it as an event being organised by a private media organisation. He added that the government neither endorsed nor associated itself with any views that may be expressed during the programme.

The Hindu reported that the clarification comes at a diplomatically sensitive moment. A day earlier, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's foreign affairs adviser, Humayun Kobir, met Indian high commissioner Dinesh Trivedi in Dhaka and cautioned that continued political activities by Hasina from Indian territory could adversely affect the positive trajectory of bilateral relations.

Hasina, who has remained in India since fleeing Bangladesh following the student-led uprising that toppled her government in August 2024, is scheduled to address an "exclusive interactive session" at the Foreign Correspondents Club on Wednesday. Organisers have indicated that she is expected to outline her future political plans and respond to questions from journalists.

The planned appearance has placed New Delhi in an uncomfortable diplomatic position, forcing it to underline that the event is not government-sponsored even as Bangladesh has conveyed its concerns through official diplomatic channels.

The controversy has unfolded alongside discussions over Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's participation in the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi. While India has invited Rahman to attend the outreach session in his capacity as the current Chair of BIMSTEC, diplomatic sources suggest Dhaka is dissatisfied that the invitation was not extended specifically in his capacity as Bangladesh's Prime Minister.

Seeking to dispel that perception, Jaiswal said Rahman had already received a separate invitation for a bilateral visit to India shortly after assuming office in February. He also maintained that the BRICS invitation followed the bloc's established practice of inviting leaders attending the outreach session in their institutional capacities.

Despite New Delhi's clarification, diplomatic sources in Dhaka indicated that the Hasina controversy has complicated the atmosphere surrounding bilateral engagement. According to a senior diplomatic source, the announcement of Hasina's media interaction coincided with Bangladesh's consideration of the BRICS invitation, raising concerns that the episode could influence the broader diplomatic environment.

The tension escalated further after Bangladesh's Press Information Department issued an advisory directing domestic media organisations not to provide a platform for Hasina's remarks. The advisory cited the death sentence handed down to the former Prime Minister by the International Crimes Tribunal and expressed concern that some media outlets continued to carry reports relating to Hasina and the Awami League.

The Awami League was formally banned by the Tarique Rahman government earlier this year through amendments to Bangladesh's anti-terrorism law. The move followed an earlier prohibition imposed by the interim administration led by Mohammed Yunus, which had suspended the political activities of the Awami League and its student wing after the 2024 political upheaval.

The episode highlights the delicate balance New Delhi is attempting to maintain as it navigates relations with Bangladesh's new political leadership while continuing to host Hasina, whose presence in India remains a politically sensitive issue for Dhaka. By emphasising that Wednesday's event is entirely private, the Modi government appears keen to avoid the perception that it is facilitating political activity by the former Bangladeshi leader from Indian soil.