Planned Seminar in New Delhi Featuring Banned Awami League Leader Cancelled After Police Deny Security Clearance

A planned international seminar and press conference in New Delhi, organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia (FCC) and attended by individuals linked to Bangladesh's banned Awami League, was cancelled after Delhi Police declined to provide the requested security clearance, according to ThePrint.

The event, titled "Europe and Asia: From Dialogue to a Partnership and Prosperity," was scheduled to take place on August 29 in collaboration with the Belgium-based NGO Hand in Hand Foundation. It was expected to feature an Awami League member, a Rohingya rights activist, and several international speakers.

Among the listed panelists was Selim Mahmud, the Awami League's Information and Research Secretary and a former member of parliament. Other participants included U.S.-based Bangladeshi scientist and Bangabandhu Parishad USA President Nurun Nabi, Rohingya rights activist Robi Alam, and Nepali child rights advocate Sundar Ghimire.

The panel also included former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Veena Sikri, former German Ambassador Peter Fahrenholtz, Czech politician and Member of the European Parliament Ondřej Dostál, United Diplomatic Council President Asif Iqbal, FCC-IAPC Chairman Venkat Narayan, and Hand in Hand Foundation Secretary General A.F.M. Golam Jilani.

According to an FCC member quoted by ThePrint, an official from the club's management visited Tilak Marg Police Station on Friday evening to request security arrangements for the event. After reviewing the details, police reportedly declined to approve the request, prompting the organizers to cancel the seminar and notify members.

In its cancellation notice, the FCC said the last-minute decision by Delhi Police was beyond the organizers' control. FCC President Waiel Awad expressed disappointment, saying, "It was an intellectual discussion. It is not clear to me why Delhi Police did not grant permission."

Delhi Police, however, denied blocking the event. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma said the FCC does not require prior police permission to organize panel discussions and insisted that police had not interfered with the program.

However, ThePrint reported that an official document bearing the seal of Tilak Marg Police Station stated that the requested security deployment could not be approved because the event had the potential to generate "sensitive controversies." The document was issued in response to the FCC's request for police presence to prevent any untoward incidents during the press conference.

According to sources cited by ThePrint, the police's decision may have been influenced by the controversy surrounding a press conference held at the FCC on August 5, during which former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced her intention to return to Bangladesh by December.

That event drew sharp criticism from the Bangladeshi government, which objected to India providing a platform for Hasina in New Delhi.

The report added that the inclusion of an Awami League leader and a Rohingya rights activist on the seminar's panel may have raised concerns over potential diplomatic sensitivities, contributing to the decision not to approve the requested security arrangements.