Indian government does not endorse comments made at Sheikh Hasina press meet, says MEA

Published 7 August 2026 · politics

The Government of India ‘does not endorse’ the comments made at the former Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina’s August 5, 2026 press conference that targeted

The Government of India ‘does not endorse’ the comments made at the former Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina’s August 5, 2026 press conference that targeted the current government in Dhaka under the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday. Speaking at a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated the stated position that the press event was organised by a “private media entity” and that the government had no involvement in the press event. “The government had no role to play in what was an event by a private media entity.

The government does not endorse anything said at the forum, specially with regard to the duly constituted government of Bangladesh,” said Mr. Jaiswal. Hasina who had addressed the press conference virtually at the Foreign Correspondents Club said the government of Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was brought to power through a “staged election”. She had further said that “false cases” had been filed against her party Awami League’s members and called for the withdrawal of such cases. Most of Ms. Hasina’s speech was aimed at the August 2024-February 2026 interim government that was replaced by the BNP in February 2026.

However, she indicated at the BNP government and said “Fear has returned to Bangladesh.” Ms. Hasina was toppled from power and took refuge in India after the so-called July Revolution on August 5, 2024 that was led by the student activists some of whom later joined the interim government under Mohammed Yunus. Responding to the press conference, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh had said it was “outraged” by the press interaction by Ms. Hasina and various members of the Awami League. “On a day when the people of Bangladesh are observing the second anniversary of the July Revolution, this interaction by Sheikh Hasina on the Indian soil stands as an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh and a grievous insult to the martyrs of the July Revolution,” said the Ministry in Dhaka in a statement on August 5, 2026.

Later Home Minister of Bangladesh Salahuddin Ahmed had also questioned the press conference and said, “Why India gave opportunity to Hasina to hold the press conference is all that I want to ask.”