Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to make her first open appearance before the media in India, nearly two years after her government was ousted amid a mass student-led uprising in Bangladesh. The event will be hosted virtually by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia) in New Delhi, where Hasina is expected to speak about her future plans and her proposed return to Bangladesh.
The interaction will take place on August 5, 2026, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM at the Sir Mark Tully Auditorium on Mathura Road in New Delhi, with live streaming on the club's social media platforms.
The event coincides with the second anniversary of the collapse of Hasina's 15-year rule. On August 5, 2024, student-led demonstrations against a controversial quota system evolved into a nationwide anti-government movement that forced Hasina from office. She left Bangladesh for India after protesters stormed and vandalised official buildings in Dhaka, bringing an abrupt end to her nearly 16-year rule.
Since arriving in India, Hasina has stayed away from public events and formal media interactions. Her upcoming address is expected to be her most significant public appearance since leaving office.
The invitation lists several Bangladeshi political leaders, diplomats and public figures who are expected to participate in the programme alongside Hasina.
Among them are Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Hasina's son and former ICT adviser to the Bangladesh prime minister; Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, Bangladesh's former education minister; and Mahammad Ali Siddique, general secretary of Bangladesh Human Rights Watch.
The panel also includes former Bangladesh cricketer and ex-member of Parliament 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 changed significantly since Hasina's ouster. The interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus ended after the February 2026 general election, paving the way for a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The new administration has continued legal proceedings against several leaders of the former Awami League government, while the party's political activities remain banned under the country's anti-terrorism law pending court proceedings.
