Ex-B'desh PM Hasina to make 1st public appearance

• Sheikh Hasina to address media virtually from India on 5 August 2026
• The event marks her first public appearance since being ousted
• She will discuss her future plans and a proposed return to Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to make her first public media appearance from India since her government was ousted following a student-led

uprising in Bangladesh nearly two years ago. She will address the media virtually at an event organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia) in New Delhi, where she is expected to outline her future plans and speak about her proposed return to Bangladesh. The virtual interaction 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. The event will also be livestreamed on FCC South Asia's social media platforms.

Hasina's First Appearance Since Ouster

The event coincides with the second anniversary of the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government. On August 5, 2024, a student-led mass uprising forced her from office, after which she left Bangladesh for India as protesters stormed and vandalised key government buildings in Dhaka, bringing an end to her nearly 16-year tenure as Prime Minister.

Since arriving in India, Hasina has largely remained out of the public spotlight, avoiding formal media interactions and public events. Her virtual address on August 5 is expected to mark her first major public appearance since leaving office.

Who Will Join The Event?

It is important to note that the invitation for the event lists several Bangladesh political leaders, diplomats and public figures who are expected to participate in the programme alongside Hasina.

The invitees 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).