Private event: Govt distances itself from Sheikh Hasina's August 5 press conference

The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday distanced the government from former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming media interaction, her first since she fled the country after being ousted in a student-led uprising in 2024.The MEA said the event was being organised by a private media organisation and stressed that the government neither endorsed nor was associated with any views expressed during the interaction."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," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.The clarification came a day after Bangladesh urged India to ensure that Hasina and other Awami League leaders were not allowed to use Indian territory for political speeches or activities that could destabilise the country and harm bilateral ties. #WATCH | Delhi: Responding to ANI's question on Sheikh Hasina's scheduled address at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi on August 5, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "The interaction you are referring to is being organised by a pic.twitter.com/RzPcoNSJKZ— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2026 WHY HASINA'S ADDRESS IS SIGNIFICANTHasina, who has been living in exile in India since August 2024 after her government was toppled during a mass student-led uprising, is scheduled to make her first public appearance in nearly two years on August 5.She is expected to address the gathering virtually at an event organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia at the Sir Mark Tully Auditorium in New Delhi. The former prime minister is expected to speak about her future plans and her proposed return to Bangladesh.The event is also expected to feature her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, former Bangladesh education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, and human rights activist Mahammad Ali Siddique.Hasina’s address, coinciding with the second anniversary of the collapse of her 15-year rule, will mark her most significant public appearance since she left office, having largely stayed out of the public eye.BANGLADESH PM INVITED TO BRICS OUTREACHThe MEA also confirmed that a formal invitation for a bilateral visit to India was extended to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, after he assumed office in February 2026.Jaiswal said India has also invited Rahman to attend the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi in his capacity as the current BIMSTEC Chair.He said the invitation follows the standard BRICS practice of inviting heads of regional organisations to the outreach session.INDIA REJECTS POK ELECTIONSMeanwhile, the MEA also weighed in on the elections held in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, describing the exercise as a “complete farce” aimed at manufacturing legitimacy despite widespread unrest in the region."The real happening is that of public protests and wanton killings by Pakistani forces. Such hollow exercises cannot hide reality," Jaiswal said.It added that Pakistan should be held accountable and said the international community should see through what it called the "flimsy veneer" of Pakistan's claims on human rights.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Aug 4, 2026 17:33 IST