The Awami League has cancelled a ‘high-level meeting’ scheduled for September 18 in New Delhi between party president and ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and senior party leaders, despite several of them already arriving in the Indian capital for the talks.

A top Awami League leader confirmed the cancellation to Daily Waadaa on Thursday via whatsapp, saying the decision was communicated a day before the meeting. The official didn’t mention any reason.

Waadaa separately spoke with at least two people in New Delhi, including a senior journalist and an official familiar with the development, who also confirmed that the meeting would not take place as scheduled.

The closed-door meeting was supposed to be held at the residence where Hasina has been staying in New Delhi since leaving Bangladesh following the fall of her government on August 5, 2024.

Several senior Awami League leaders had travelled to New Delhi ahead of the meeting, which was expected to discuss the party's political and organisational strategy as well as Hasina's previously announced plan to return to Bangladesh in December.

The cancellation comes amid growing sensitivity surrounding political activities by Hasina and Awami League figures in India.

On August 29, another event in New Delhi featuring Awami League-linked speakers was cancelled after the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia said Delhi Police had denied permission. 

A police document cited by Indian media said the programme was "not allowed due to certain controversies," although a senior Delhi Police official denied that police had intervened in FCC programmes.

The Awami League later distanced itself from that programme, saying it was neither organised nor sponsored by the party and that any party figures attending would have done so in an individual capacity.

The August 29 cancellation followed a sharper diplomatic dispute triggered by Hasina's August 5 media interaction at the same New Delhi club.

Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry said at the time that it was "outraged" that Hasina had been allowed to participate in a live media interaction from New Delhi despite Dhaka having conveyed its concerns to India in advance. 

It described the event as an affront to Bangladesh's sovereignty and said allowing such political activity could damage efforts to improve bilateral relations.

India subsequently distanced itself from the August 5 programme, saying it was organised by a private entity and that the Indian government had no role in it. New Delhi also said it did not endorse statements made at the event concerning Bangladesh's government.

Hasina has been living in India since August 2024, while Dhaka has continued seeking her return through diplomatic and legal channels.

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