A planned press conference in Delhi by leaders of the Bangladesh Awami League (AL) was abruptly called off on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, leaving many attendees surprised and triggering speculation. The event, organized by the Bangladesh Human Rights Watch (BHRW), was set to address the sensitive issue of "genocide in Bangladesh" and alleged "military atrocities in Gopalganj".

Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, the US-based secretary general of BHRW, known to be close to former Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina, organized the event. Siddiqui has a history of organizing events in the United States in support of the Awami League and Hasina, whose government fell in August of last year after weeks of student-led protests.

Several former ministers of the Awami League, including Hasan Mahmud, Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, had visited New Delhi in recent days, and some were expected to participate in the news conference.

The official reason given for the postponement was to express respect for the victims of a recent deadly plane crash in Dhaka, which occurred on Monday at an educational institution. The crash resulted in the deaths of over 35 people, mostly children, and left approximately 170 injured.

Siddiqui stated that the decision to adjourn the press conference was made "in light of this grave tragedy and out of respect for the victims and their grieving families". He added that a new date for the event would be announced later. Siddiqui also called for an independent investigation into the air crash and reiterated the Awami League's accusations against the caretaker administration led by Muhammad Yunus.

The planned press conference and its subsequent cancellation have raised eyebrows, particularly given the current political climate in Bangladesh. The Awami League, a major political force in Bangladesh, saw its government collapse last August. The organizers had indicated that "dignitaries and ministers" of the Awami League would address the news conference on "military atrocities in Gopalganj and genocide in Bangladesh". This is in 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.

The abrupt cancellation has fueled speculation about other underlying reasons. Some suggest 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.