Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to make her first public media appearance in India, nearly two years after being ousted from power following a student-led uprising in Bangladesh. The interaction, to be held virtually by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia) in New Delhi, will see Hasina speak about her future plans and her proposed return to Bangladesh.
The programme is scheduled for August 5, 2026, from 6 pm to 7:30 pm at the Sir Mark Tully Auditorium on Mathura Road in New Delhi. It will also be streamed live on the club's social media platforms.
FIRST PUBLIC ADDRESS SINCE LEAVING OFFICE
The event marks the second anniversary of the fall of Hasina's government. On August 5, 2024, protests that began over a controversial job quota system grew into a nationwide movement, eventually forcing Hasina to step down. She fled to India after protesters stormed and vandalised government buildings in Dhaka, ending her nearly 16-year tenure as prime minister.
Since arriving in India, Hasina has largely stayed out of the public eye and avoided formal media engagements. Her upcoming address is expected to be her most prominent public appearance since leaving Bangladesh.
KEY BANGLADESHI PERSONALITIES TO PARTICIPATE
According to the invitation, several Bangladeshi politicians, diplomats and public figures are expected to join the programme alongside Hasina.
The participants include Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Hasina's son and former ICT adviser to the Bangladesh prime minister; former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel; and Mahammad Ali Siddique, general secretary of Bangladesh Human Rights Watch.
Also expected to participate are former Bangladesh cricketer and ex-MP Shakib Al Hasan, former diplomat and security analyst Aminul Hoque Polash, political and counterterrorism analyst Abu Obaidha Arin, and Shah Md Bakhtiar, director of Bangladesh Human Rights Watch USA.
The event will be chaired by Dr. Waiel Awwad, president of FCC South Asia and the International Association of Press Clubs (IAPC).
Bangladesh's political landscape has undergone major changes since Hasina's removal from office. The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus ended after the February 2026 general election, following which a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government headed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assumed office. The new administration has continued legal action against several leaders of the former Awami League government, while the party remains barred from political activities under Bangladesh's anti-terrorism law pending court proceedings.
