New Delhi, Aug 4: The Indian government has clarified that it has no involvement in a proposed media event related to former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, stating that the programme is being organised by a private entity and does not represent the views of the government.
Responding to media queries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said New Delhi had neither organised nor endorsed the proposed event. The clarification came amid discussions over the possible implications of the programme for relations between India and Bangladesh.
The issue was also raised during a recent meeting between Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and India’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi.Meanwhile, India confirmed that Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been invited to attend the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.
The invitation was extended to Rahman in his capacity as the current chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the MEA said.India noted that invitations to leaders of regional organisations are part of the established practice for BRICS outreach sessions.
Other heads of regional groups have also been invited under a similar arrangement.Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry had earlier confirmed that the invitation had been received and forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office for consideration.
A final decision on Rahman’s participation is expected to be taken by the Bangladesh Prime Minister.Bangladesh is set to mark the 30th anniversary of BIMSTEC in 2027 and is scheduled to host the BIMSTEC Summit in Dhaka.
The developments come as India and Bangladesh continue diplomatic engagement on regional cooperation, bilateral relations and multilateral initiatives.
