India Distances Itself From Sheikh Hasina's Virtual Press Event

New Delhi: India on Tuesday distanced itself from former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina's planned virtual media interaction in New Delhi, emphasising that it does not endorse any views that may be expressed during the event.

Hasina is set to hold her first interaction with the media on Wednesday evening, two years after she fled Dhaka after the collapse of her government following a massive anti-government protest.

Dhaka on Monday sought a clarification from the Indian side on Hasina's plan with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's foreign affairs adviser Humaiun Kobir saying the public interaction from Indian soil could undermine the positive momentum witnessed in the bilateral ties in the recent months.

"The interaction you refer 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," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

He was answering a question on Hasina's plan during his bi-weekly media briefing.

Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said on Monday that Hasina's public political activities from Indian territory could have a negative impact on relations between the two countries.

The former prime minister is set to address the virtual press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club. Though Hasina had given a series of e-mail interviews over the past few months, it will be her first media interaction.

The Awami League leader has already announced her plan to return to Dhaka by end of this year and she is likely to elaborate on that during the media interaction.

Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and a number of other Awami League leaders including Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and Shakib Al Hasan are likely to speak at the conference.

Hasina, 78, has been living in India since fleeing Dhaka on August 5, 2024.

Last November, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka for alleged "crimes against humanity" over her government's brutal crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.

Since the verdict, Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her to face the law.

The relations between India and Bangladesh witnessed major downturn after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power following the collapse of the Hasina government.

The two sides initiated efforts to stabilise the relations after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, represented India at the inauguration of Rahman as the prime minister in Dhaka on February 17.

Rahman became the prime minister following his party's landslide victory in the parliamentary polls. The Awami League was barred from contesting the polls.

In April, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman visited India as part of efforts to repair the strained bilateral ties following more than 18 months of heightened diplomatic tension.

It was the first high-level visit to India by a senior member of the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party government.