India Clarifies Stance on Sheikh Hasina’s Press Conference Amid Dhaka’s Strong Protest

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified on Friday that the Indian government had no involvement in organizing a recent press conference by former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a foreign correspondents' club in India.

The clarification comes in the wake of sharp criticism from the Bangladesh government, which expressed severe anger and dissatisfaction over allowing Hasina who faces genocide allegations to speak publicly, warning that the incident could negatively impact bilateral relations.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal explicitly stated that the Indian government does not agree with any statements made during that event, particularly those directed against the current government of Bangladesh. He emphasized that the gathering was organized independently by a private media entity.

Jaiswal noted that India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and security in light of the regional environment, adding that New Delhi is closely monitoring activities in neighboring countries from a national security perspective.

Despite the political friction, the spokesperson affirmed that economic and energy cooperation between India and Bangladesh continues uninterrupted.

The Indian official's remarks follow a stern statement issued by Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday night. Dhaka voiced deep outrage over New Delhi allowing "fugitive and convicted genocide perpetrator" Sheikh Hasina to address the media directly from Indian soil, alleging that she and her associates spread "toxic hatred" against the Bangladeshi state and its people.

The foreign ministry's release highlighted that permitting Hasina's media interaction on the exact day Bangladesh was celebrating the second anniversary of the July Revolution was a direct disrespect to Bangladesh's sovereignty and a grave insult to the martyrs of the uprising.

The statement further asserted that denying UN-established facts regarding the killings of innocent civilians, including children, during July August 2024 represents a futile attempt by Hasina and her accomplices to distort history an effort the people of Bangladesh have rejected in the past and continue to reject today.