Delhi police stop seminar featuring Awami League leaders
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A discussion event organized in New Delhi featuring Awami League leaders was canceled at the last moment. The organizers alleged that the event was canceled due to “interference” by Delhi police. Police reportedly asked them not to proceed with the event.
The event was scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia (FCC) in Delhi. The discussion was supposed to focus on relations between Europe and Asia.
The event titled “Europe and Asia: From Dialogue to Partnership and Prosperity” was organized by the FCC and Belgium based Hand in Hand Foundation.
Those scheduled to participate as speakers included Selim Mahmud who is the Information and Research Secretary of the Awami League whose activities have been banned in Bangladesh following the July uprising and a former member of parliament. Scientist Dr. Nurunnabi who is a leader of the US Bangabandhu Parishad was also scheduled to speak.
Other speakers included former Indian Ambassador to Bangladesh Veena Sikri, former German Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Fahrenholz and Czech politician and European Parliament member Ondřej Dostál.
Earlier this month Sheikh Hasina who took shelter in India after losing power following the mass uprising in Bangladesh had participated in a virtual press conference organized by the FCC.
Her press conference led to renewed tensions in Bangladesh India relations. Dhaka informed Delhi of its dissatisfaction over the matter. The event has also been cited as a reason that could disrupt Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarek Rahman’s possible visit to India.
Amid this situation Delhi police took steps to stop the new discussion event featuring Awami League leaders.
In a statement issued yesterday evening the organizers said the club could not hold the scheduled event due to “unexplained interference” by Delhi police.
The FCC said the decision was communicated at short notice. The situation was beyond the control of the organizers and FCC South Asia.
Meanwhile Delhi police denied the allegation of interference. New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma told Indian media outlet ThePrint that FCC does not need police permission to organize a seminar. “There was no interference from our side in their event.”
Another Indian media outlet The Wire reported that Tilak Marg Police Station had informed the FCC that the program was “not authorized.” In response to the FCC’s written application police said, “According to the information received this program is not authorized due to some controversy.”
The organizers consider this intervention unusual. They claimed that the event was not Bangladesh focused. They said they plan to hold the event at a convenient time later.
A F M Golam Jilani who is the secretary general of the Hand in Hand Foundation was also scheduled to attend the event. However he could not travel to India because Indian authorities did not issue him a visa.
Jilani said his visa process is still underway. However he does not consider the matter unusual.
The Wire asked Jilani whether his organization was associated with the Awami League. In response he said his organization has no connection with the Awami League. He said, “It is a misconception.”
However there are several examples of the foundation organizing events involving Awami League representatives.
A 2019 report by the South Asia Democratic Forum said a conference on the Rohingya crisis at the European Parliament was jointly organized by the Socialists and Democrats group, Belgium Awami League and Hand in Hand Foundation. Jilani was listed as a representative of the foundation.
In July this year the European branch of the Awami League said a seminar on democratic transition, human rights and geopolitics in South Asia was organized at the European Parliament at the initiative of Hand in Hand Foundation. The president, general secretary and other representatives of the European Awami League attended the event. Jilani also attended the event as the secretary general of the foundation.
