India again distances itself from Sheikh Hasina’s remarks

India once again distanced itself from former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's news conference in New Delhi, which sparked a strong reaction from Dhaka. Hasina, who fled Bangladesh in August 2024 amid a student-led uprising, held the virtual press conference to express her intention to return to Bangladesh by December, despite the risk of arrest or death sentence.

Bangladesh's foreign ministry condemned the event, calling Hasina an "absconding convicted genocider" and criticizing the Indian government for allowing it on its soil.

When questioned about Bangladesh's strong response at a press briefing, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that New Delhi had no role in organizing the event or endorsing Hasina's statements. He emphasized that the government merely organized a news conference hosted by a private media entity and does not support the remarks made during the forum, particularly those regarding Bangladesh's government.

Jaiswal also addressed concerns raised by Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed, about Bangladesh becoming "another Pakistan" due to extremist forces and terror groups allegedly being given free rein by the current government. He stated that India closely monitors such developments to safeguard its national security interests but did not provide further details.

Regarding Bangladesh's request for fuel supplies to address an energy crisis, Jaiswal admitted that he did not have an update on the matter. He noted that India and Bangladesh maintain an ongoing relationship in the economic and energy sectors. During a recent meeting in Dhaka, the two sides discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in these areas, with Bangladesh's Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood expressing the need for additional diesel supplies to alleviate power outages.