India: Dhaka presses Delhi on stance ahead of Hasina speech
08/04/2026 August 4, 2026 Dhaka seeks New Delhi's stance ahead of Sheikh Hasina's 'homecoming' speech India needs to be clear about its stance on an
08/04/2026 August 4, 2026 Dhaka seeks New Delhi's stance ahead of Sheikh Hasina's 'homecoming' speech India needs to be clear about its stance on an upcoming speech by ousted Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said, adding that Dhaka did not want the event to adversely impact the improving ties between the neighboring nations. "We do not want India-Bangladesh relations to be harmed by statements from fugitive accused individuals," she said, adding that India had previously indicated it did not expect fugitives to engage in political activities from its territory.
Hasina is set to make a live but virtual speech on August 5, at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia, titled "Sheikh Hasina's Homecoming." A flyer for the event, posted on X, said that Hasina would thank journalists at the club in Delhi, ahead of her "homecoming." It will mark the second anniversary of the student-led uprising which toppled her government. The event is not organised by the Indian government.
It is also not Hasina's first public address from India, where she has been living in exile since being ousted from power in Bangladesh in 2024. Ties between India and Bangladesh grew strained since Hasina fled to the neighboring nation, where she has lived since. While both countries have made attempts at improving ties, Dhaka continues to formally seek Hasina's extradition, which India says is under consideration. Meanwhile, Hasina recently told several global news organisations that she planned to return to Bangladesh by December 2026, despite several legal cases and a death sentence.
India's foreign ministry has not publicly responded to Islam's comments yet.
The BriefWire