SY Quraishi met Sheikh Hasina in 2014, urged credible elections and EC independence
Synopsis
Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi reveals he pressed Sheikh Hasina on electoral credibility as far back as 2014 — and that by their final meeting, she was visibly worn down and openly blaming the United States for engineering her removal. His new book puts a rare Indian diplomatic lens on Hasina's political unravelling.
Key Takeaways
Quraishi met Sheikh Hasina in 2014 at the request of Bangladesh's then High Commissioner in India, to stress the importance of a credible Election Commission.
The meeting lasted more than an hour ; Hasina was accompanied by seven senior advisors and was described as 'a bit defensive' but receptive.
Former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran accompanied Quraishi to the meeting.
At a second meeting shortly before Bangladesh's recent controversial election , Hasina appeared 'visibly strained' and alleged that foreign powers, particularly the United States , were seeking regime change.
The revelations are drawn from Quraishi's new book, 'India and I: A Hundred Memories, Not a Memoir' .
Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi on Tuesday, 14 July recalled two significant meetings with former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, revealing that he had pressed her on the importance of maintaining a credible and independent Election Commission — and that she had appeared 'visibly strained' and suspicious of foreign interference by their final encounter.
How the 2014 Meeting Came About
Quraishi, who had retired from the post of Chief Election Commissioner nearly two years before the meeting, was travelling to Bangladesh for a lecture engagement in 2014 when the then High Commissioner of Bangladesh in India urged him to convey a pointed message to Hasina. 'Sir, if you are meeting Sheikh Hasina, please tell her the importance of the Election Commission and its credibility,' Quraishi recounted being told, describing the request as 'very important and significant.'
He subsequently sought a courtesy call with the then Prime Minister, which she agreed to readily. Quraishi attended alongside the then Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pankaj Saran. Hasina, for her part, arrived with seven senior advisors — lending the meeting a formal, summit-like character. 'I was just a retired CEC, but India had that image and that reputation that even a retired CEC enjoys a lot of respect and credibility,' Quraishi noted.
What Was Said in the Room
The meeting lasted more than an hour, during which Quraishi laid out why public confidence in election institutions is foundational to democratic governance. He described Hasina as initially 'a bit defensive' but ultimately receptive to the arguments he presented.
The two met again roughly ten years later, shortly before what Quraishi described as Bangladesh's 'recent controversial election.' The contrast was stark. 'She looked a little tired, and then she complained that she suspects that foreign powers are trying to unseat her; they want a change of regime. So, which is exactly what happened,' he said.
The 2023 Observers' Visit
In late 2023, Quraishi visited Bangladesh as the head of an election observers' delegation ahead of the country's general elections. He recounts in his new book that Hasina appeared 'visibly strained' during their interaction. According to the book, 'She spoke bluntly about what she saw as external attempts, particularly by the United States, to engineer regime change.'
The Book Behind the Revelations
Quraishi's account emerges in the context of the release of his latest book, 'India and I: A Hundred Memories, Not a Memoir', which documents his interactions with foreign leaders and his decades in public service. The Bangladesh chapters offer a rare first-hand Indian perspective on Hasina's political anxieties in the years leading up to her ouster.
The disclosures add a layer of diplomatic texture to an already consequential chapter in South Asian politics, with questions about electoral credibility and external influence in Bangladesh remaining very much alive.
Point of View
They proved prescient. India's silence as events unfolded raises questions that Quraishi's memoir, perhaps inadvertently, brings into sharp relief.
NationPress
14 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When did SY Quraishi meet Sheikh Hasina and why?
Quraishi met Sheikh Hasina in 2014 while visiting Bangladesh for a lecture, at the informal urging of Bangladesh's then High Commissioner in India, who asked him to stress the importance of a credible and independent Election Commission. The meeting lasted more than an hour and was attended by former Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran.
What did Sheikh Hasina say about foreign interference?
At a meeting shortly before Bangladesh's recent controversial election, Hasina told Quraishi she suspected foreign powers — specifically the United States — were attempting to engineer a regime change against her. Quraishi noted that 'which is exactly what happened.'
What is SY Quraishi's new book about?
The book, titled 'India and I: A Hundred Memories, Not a Memoir', documents Quraishi's decades in public service and his interactions with foreign leaders, including multiple chapters on his encounters with Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh.
Who accompanied Quraishi to the 2014 meeting with Hasina?
Quraishi was accompanied by Pankaj Saran, who was then serving as India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Hasina arrived with seven of her senior advisors, giving the meeting a formal, summit-like character.
What was Hasina's demeanour at their final meeting in late 2023?
According to Quraishi's book, Hasina appeared 'visibly strained' during their late 2023 interaction, when he was heading an election observers' delegation to Bangladesh. She spoke bluntly about what she described as external attempts, particularly by the United States, to engineer regime change.
