India refuses Bangladesh’s demand to stop Sheikh Hasina’s speech:Says, ‘govt has no involvement in it’; ousted PM set to appear tomorrow for first time in 2 years

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that she will address an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia (FCCSA) in New Delhi online on August 5. Bangladesh has asked India to stop the address. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the government has no connection with the event. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it is being organised by a private media organisation and that the government does not endorse any views expressed at the event. This will be Sheikh Hasina’s first public appearance since leaving Bangladesh on August 5, 2024. FCCSA is a Delhi-based journalists’ organisation The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia (FCCSA), founded in 1958, is a New Delhi-based journalists’ organisation. Sheikh Hasina will join the event via video link, reportedly from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. Bangladesh on Monday urged India not to allow Sheikh Hasina or banned groups to conduct political activities from Indian soil that could destabilise Bangladesh. Dhaka warned that allowing a fugitive leader to engage in politics from India could harm improving bilateral ties. The issue was also raised during a meeting between Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi. Why did Sheikh Hasina choose August 5? On August 5, 2024, Sheikh Hasina was forced to leave Bangladesh after student-led protests reached her official residence. She resigned and flew to India on a military aircraft. Two years later, she is appearing before the public on the same date—the day she was forced to step down. It is believed she wants to use the occasion to signal her political comeback. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and other Awami League leaders are also expected to join the event. Hasina may also announce when she plans to return to Bangladesh. She recently said she would return in December to face the court, despite knowing she could be arrested or face threats to her life. Bangladesh PM to visit India next month Hasina has been living in India since August 2024, while Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her extradition. Her public appearance comes as Bangladesh PM Tariq Rahman is expected to visit India in September for the BRICS summit. Dhaka does not want Hasina to deliver political messages from Indian soil. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has invited Rahman to the BRICS summit in New Delhi in early September. As Bangladesh currently chairs BIMSTEC, Rahman has also been invited to the summit’s outreach session. What is political asylum, and what are India’s rules? 1. A person may seek asylum in another country if they face threats to their life, political persecution or war in their home country. 2. International law does not require countries to grant asylum, but the principle of non-refoulement says people should not be forcibly returned to a place where their life or safety is at risk. 3. India has not signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol and has no separate refugee law. The government therefore decides each case based on national security, foreign policy, and humanitarian concerns. 4. The Indian government has never officially said Sheikh Hasina was granted political asylum. However, she has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024. India has accepted her presence on humanitarian grounds. What is political asylum, and what are India’s rules? A person may seek asylum in another country if they face threats to their life, political persecution or war in their home country. International law does not require countries to grant asylum, but the principle of non-refoulement says people should not be forcibly returned to a place where their life or safety is at risk. India has not signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol and has no separate refugee law. The government therefore decides each case based on national security, foreign policy and humanitarian concerns. The Indian government has never officially said Sheikh Hasina was granted political asylum. However, she has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024. India has accepted her presence on humanitarian grounds. Bangladesh had appealed to India This statement comes a day after Bangladesh sought cooperation from India. Bangladesh had appealed that Sheikh Hasina or anyone associated with banned organisations should not be allowed to use Indian soil for delivering political speeches or conducting activities that spread instability in Bangladesh. The Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Humayun Kabir had raised this issue during a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi in Dhaka on Monday. ​