NEW DELHI: India on Friday distanced itself from former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent media interaction in New Delhi, saying the government had no role in organising the event and does not endorse the remarks made there, particularly those concerning the “duly constituted government of Bangladesh,” following a strong protest from Dhaka.
“The government had no role to play in what was an event by a private media entity, and it does not endorse anything said at the forum, especially with regard to the duly constituted government of Bangladesh,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
The clarification came after Bangladesh strongly condemned Hasina’s participation in a live media interaction hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi on Wednesday.
In a statement, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “outraged” that Hasina had been allowed to address the media from the Indian capital, alleging that she and her associates made hostile remarks against Bangladesh.
Dhaka said it had cautioned that allowing the event to proceed could have “serious consequences” for India-Bangladesh ties. Despite this, it said, the programme went ahead. The statement was issued on the second anniversary of the July Revolution, with the government calling Hasina’s appearance an insult to those killed during the 2024 uprising.
Address 1st since exile
Hasina’s address on Wednesday was her first interaction with the media since being ousted in August 2024. Speaking via an audio link from New Delhi, Hasina reiterated that she would return to Bangladesh in December despite facing criminal convictions and the possibility of imprisonment or death.