The Curious Case Of Bangladesh 'Awami League' Press Meet In Delhi That Never Happened

Last Updated:July 24, 2025, 12:23 IST

Although BHRW was the organiser, the event bore the influence of the Hasina administration, with many of her trusted aides expected to attend the press meet.

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (Image: Reuters)

A press conference was scheduled on Wednesday evening at the Press Club of India in Delhi, just less than half a kilometre from Raisina Hill. The agenda was to discuss “military atrocities in Gopalganj and genocide in Bangladesh." Officially organised by the US-based human rights body, Bangladesh Human Rights Watch (BHRW), which recently petitioned the UN against the Muhammad Yunus government, the invite was sent by its Secretary General Md Ali Siddiqui. Siddiqui is known for his close association with former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in exile in New Delhi. However, in a curious turn of events, the conference was canceled at the last moment despite the readiness of both organisers and attendees.

What led to the cancellation? The organiser officially claimed it was a postponement to honour the sentiment of the victims of a recent plane crash in Bangladesh that killed at least 31 people, including 25 children. “In light of this grave tragedy and out of respect for the victims and their grieving families, we have made the difficult decision to adjourn the press conference," Siddiqui said in a statement to the journalists who had gathered for the event.

However, what appears straightforward might not be as simple after all.

Although BHRW was the main organiser, the event bore the influence of the Hasina administration, with many of her trusted aides and top leaders from her former administration expected to attend. Sources within Awami League informed News18 that the Bangladesh High Commission had unofficially reached out to South Block, indicating that this Delhi event was likely to be “hijacked" by former Hasina top aides like Hasan Mahmud, a central figure during Hasina’s regime, and Obaidul Quader, General Secretary of the Awami League since 2016.

Since Wednesday evening, some Awami League members have openly accused the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi of stopping their event. Interestingly, their social media posts disappeared by Thursday morning.

This incident just ahead of the one-year anniversary of August 5, when Sheikh Hasina fled to India after being toppled in Bangladesh. Over the past year, the bilateral relationship between the two countries has been rocky and somewhat messy. In a gesture of goodwill, Yunus has sent a consignment of 1,000 kilogrammes of Haribhanga mangoes, a prized variety from northern Bangladesh. Additionally, a team of burn-specialist doctors and nurses is scheduled to visit Bangladesh shortly to assist those injured in the plane crash, as reported by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday.

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