A reported 20-minute telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the BRICS summit has sparked renewed discussion, particularly because India’s National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval, was reportedly in the same room at the time.
The claim emerged following a report published by the Indian media outlet “The Hindustan Times”. According to the report, Putin spoke to Hasina by telephone while he was in New Delhi, with the conversation reportedly lasting around 20 minutes. However, no official transcript of the exchange has been released, and there has been no confirmed information about what the two discussed.
The absence of official confirmation is significant. Neither the Indian government nor the Kremlin has publicly confirmed the reported conversation. There has also been no statement from Hasina’s side confirming that the call took place or providing details of its contents.
The report has attracted attention partly because of the longstanding relationship between Bangladesh and Russia during Hasina’s tenure as prime minister. One of the most prominent examples of that relationship is the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project in Pabna, which is being developed with major Russian involvement.
The project, estimated to cost around US$12 billion, has been a central element of Bangladesh-Russia economic and technological cooperation. Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, has played a key role in its development. The project is also significant for Bangladesh’s plans to diversify its electricity generation capacity and introduce nuclear power into its energy mix.
Financial arrangements surrounding Rooppur have previously faced complications because of international sanctions imposed on Russia. Restrictions affecting international banking and payments created difficulties in settling some project-related transactions. At one stage, the possibility of using the Indian currency for payments was also discussed. Against that background, any reported contact involving Bangladesh, India and Russia can attract considerable diplomatic interest.
Hasina’s current presence in India adds another dimension to the report. Since leaving Bangladesh, she has remained in India, making any reported communication between her and senior foreign leaders a matter of interest in discussions about Bangladesh’s political and diplomatic landscape.
The reported presence of Ajit Doval during the alleged conversation has also drawn particular attention. Doval is a senior figure in India’s national security establishment, and his reported presence has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the call. Yet there is no publicly available official account establishing that he was present, nor is there confirmed information about whether he had any involvement in the conversation.
The contents of the alleged Putin-Hasina discussion remain unknown. There is currently no verified information indicating whether the conversation concerned bilateral relations, the Rooppur project, regional developments, Bangladesh’s political situation or another matter entirely. Without an official account or reliable documentation, drawing conclusions about the subject of the conversation would be premature.
Bangladesh and Russia have maintained cooperation across several areas, with energy and large-scale infrastructure projects forming an important part of their relationship. At the same time, India and Russia have longstanding strategic ties. Any interaction involving senior figures from all three countries therefore has the potential to attract attention, particularly amid changing political circumstances in Bangladesh.
For now, however, the reported 20-minute call should be treated as an unverified claim rather than an established fact. The Hindustan Times, the Indian media outlet that reported the matter, has brought the allegation into public discussion, but no official transcript or confirmation from the Indian government, the Kremlin or Sheikh Hasina has been made public.
Until such evidence becomes available, the precise circumstances of the alleged Putin-Hasina conversation, the role of Ajit Doval and the subject of the reported exchange remain unclear. Any assessment of its possible diplomatic or political significance will depend on whether the parties involved later provide an official account or further credible evidence emerges.
