Sheikh Hasina event not India’s business, MEA says as New Delhi keeps Dhaka engagement alive

New Delhi: India on Tuesday clarified that a proposed media interaction involving former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi is not a government programme, amid concerns from Dhaka over her planned virtual address on August 5. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the event has been organized independently and that any views expressed at the forum should not be construed as representing New Delhi’s position.

The clarification comes as Hasina’s continued presence in India remains a sensitive issue in ties between the two neighbours. Bangladesh has conveyed its concerns to New Delhi, arguing that political statements from its former prime minister could complicate efforts to improve bilateral relations, as earlier reported by RNA.

The MEA spokesman, Randhir Jaiswal, said the government had no involvement in the event and did not endorse any views that may be expressed there. The issue had also been raised during Monday’s meeting between the Bangladesh foreign affairs advisor, Humayun Kabir, and India’s newly appointed high commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi.

At the same time, India indicated that its formal engagement with the current Bangladeshi government remains on track. Jaiswal said New Delhi had extended an invitation to the Bangladesh prime minister, Tarique Rahman, for a bilateral visit after he took office in February.

Rahman has also been invited to the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi in his capacity as the current chair of BIMSTEC. India said the invitation follows established BRICS practice, under which heads of regional groupings are invited to outreach meetings. The summit is scheduled for September 12 and 13.

India rejects POK elections

The MEA also sharply criticised the second phase of local elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), terming the exercise a “complete farce” and arguing that the polls did not reflect the situation prevailing in the region.

India pointed to continuing civilian protests and cited 19 civilian deaths in recent incidents in PoK, saying the developments highlighted the gap between the electoral exercise and the ground situation.

New Delhi also reiterated its demand for concrete and verifiable action by Pakistan against cross-border terrorism. India maintained that terrorist infrastructure operating from Pakistani soil needs to be dismantled.

On the Indus Waters Treaty, the MEA reiterated that India’s position remains unchanged and that the agreement continues to remain in abeyance in view of Pakistan’s support for cross-border terrorism.

While responding to questions on recent remarks by a Pakistani spokesperson on Afghanistan, Jaiswal said the comments reflected Islamabad’s “insecurity and frustration” over the expanding relationship between India and Afghanistan.

Two Indians remain missing after Black Sea attack

The safety of Indian seafarers also came up during the briefing following the July 25 attack on cargo vessel MV AGN Ragnar while it was leaving Ukraine’s Odesa port. Four Indian crew members were aboard the vessel when it was hit by a projectile. Two were subsequently located safely, while efforts to trace the other two continued with Ukrainian and Romanian authorities.

The Indian missions in Kyiv and Bucharest are coordinating with the authorities concerned and providing assistance to the survivors and the families of the missing crew members.

The incident follows the July 18 attack on commercial vessel MV Omorfi, in which an Indian national was killed while the ship was transiting the Black Sea, reportedly in Russian territorial waters. India had summoned Ukraine’s ambassador following the incident.

The MEA has advised Indian merchant mariners to assess the security environment carefully before accepting assignments in the Black Sea. It has also urged them to clarify shipping routes, security arrangements and insurance provisions with their employers.

India-US trade talks

On India-US trade, the MEA said negotiations between the two sides are continuing towards an interim bilateral trade agreement. The talks come as India remains among nearly 60 trading partners facing fresh US import duties of up to 12.5 per cent, with the new tariff regime already facing a legal challenge in the US, as earlier reported by RNA.

Chabahar remains strategic priority

On Iran, the MEA reaffirmed India’s commitment to the Chabahar port project and said New Delhi remains engaged with all relevant stakeholders. The ministry said developments surrounding the strategic Iranian port are being closely monitored, underlining its continued importance to India’s connectivity and regional engagement.