AL leaders postpone 'Bangladesh genocide' conference in Delhi

A news conference in Delhi by Awami League leaders and former ministers to speak about "genocide in Bangladesh" was put off at the last moment yesterday (23 July), with the organisers saying the event had been adjourned out of respect for the victims of a deadly plane crash in Dhaka this week.

The event in New Delhi was organised by the Bangladesh Human Rights Watch (BHRW), whose US-based secretary general, Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, is known to be close to the Awami League and former Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina. Siddiqui has organised several events in the US in support of the Awami League and Hasina, whose government collapsed last August following weeks of protests led by students.

The organisers had said that "dignitaries and ministers" of the Awami League would address the news conference on "military atrocities in Gopalganj and genocide in Bangladesh". This was a reference to the death of four people during violence that erupted at a rally on July 16 by the student-led National Citizen Party in Gopalganj town, the hometown of Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

When journalists gathered for the event, Siddiqui read out a statement that said the event was being adjourned out of respect for the victims of the plane crash at an educational institution in Dhaka on Monday. More than 35 people, mostly children, were killed and some 170 others injured when a military training aircraft crashed into the institution.

"In light of this grave tragedy and out of respect for the victims and their grieving families, we have made the difficult decision to adjourn the press conference," Siddiqui said, adding a fresh date for the event will be announced in "due course". He also sought an "independent investigation" into the air crash and repeated the Awami League's accusations against the caretaker administration led by Muhammad Yunus.

Several former ministers of the Awami League, including Hasan Mahmud, Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, have visited New Delhi over the past few days, and some of them were expected to take part in the news conference, people familiar with the matter said.

The Bangladeshi side had informally conveyed its concerns about the event to the external affairs ministry, especially the impact it would have in the neighbouring country ahead of the first anniversary of the ouster of the Hasina government on August 5, the people said on condition of anonymity.

"It was pointed out that there are efforts underway to engage with the Indian side to normalise relations. Besides, the Indian side has said that it does not support any party in Bangladesh and such an event could have had an effect on that stance," one of the people said.

There was no official word on the development from the Indian side. India-Bangladesh ties have been at a low since the interim government led by Yunus assumed office. The Indian side has criticised the caretaker administration's handling of the repression of Bangladesh's minorities, especially Hindus, and New Delhi has imposed several import restrictions that have hit the flow of Bangladeshi goods through Indian land and sea ports.