A reported telephone conversation lasting around 20 minutes between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the BRICS summit has triggered fresh discussion in diplomatic and political circles. The report has drawn additional attention because India’s National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval, was reportedly in the same room when the alleged conversation took place.
The claim came to wider attention after a report published by the Indian media outlet “The Hindustan Times”. According to the report, Putin spoke with Hasina by telephone while he was in New Delhi, with the exchange reportedly continuing for approximately 20 minutes.
Details of the conversation, however, remain unavailable. No official transcript has been released, and there is no publicly confirmed account of what Putin and Hasina discussed. The circumstances surrounding the alleged call have therefore remained unclear.
Neither the Indian government nor the Kremlin has publicly confirmed the reported conversation. There has also been no official statement from Sheikh Hasina’s side confirming the call or explaining its contents. As a result, the reported exchange cannot presently be treated as an independently verified event.
The report has attracted interest partly because of the history of Bangladesh-Russia relations during Hasina’s tenure as prime minister. Cooperation between Dhaka and Moscow expanded in several areas, with the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant standing out as one of the most significant projects.
The Rooppur project in Pabna is being developed with substantial Russian involvement, with Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation, playing a central role in its implementation. The project has an estimated cost of around US$12 billion and represents a major element of Bangladesh’s cooperation with Russia in the energy and technology sectors.
Financial arrangements connected with the project have previously faced complications following Western sanctions against Russia. Restrictions affecting international financial transactions created difficulties in making some payments linked to the project. Alternative payment arrangements were subsequently discussed, including the possibility of settling certain transactions in Indian rupees.
That history gives any reported contact involving Bangladesh, India and Russia an added diplomatic dimension. Still, there is currently no evidence establishing that the alleged Putin-Hasina conversation was related to the Rooppur project or to payment arrangements.
Hasina’s presence in India is another factor behind the attention surrounding the report. Her reported communication with a serving Russian president, if confirmed, could become relevant to discussions about Bangladesh’s relations with Russia and the broader regional diplomatic environment. At present, however, the available information does not establish the purpose or significance of the alleged exchange.
The reported presence of Ajit Doval has also become a central part of the discussion. Doval is India’s National Security Adviser and a senior figure in the country’s security and foreign-policy establishment. Yet there has been no official confirmation that he was present during the alleged telephone conversation, nor has any reliable public information established whether he participated in or heard the exchange.
The subject of the alleged conversation is equally uncertain. There is no verified information indicating whether Putin and Hasina discussed Bangladesh-Russia relations, regional developments, the Rooppur project, political developments in Bangladesh or any other issue. Speculation about the contents of a conversation without an official account would therefore go beyond the available evidence.
The wider context is also significant. Bangladesh has maintained longstanding ties with Russia, particularly through major energy and infrastructure cooperation, while India and Russia have maintained extensive diplomatic and strategic relations. Any reported interaction involving senior figures connected with all three countries is therefore likely to attract attention.
Yet the central question remains whether the reported call actually took place in the manner described. The Hindustan Times, the Indian media outlet that reported the claim, has brought the allegation into public discussion, but no official transcript or confirmation has so far been made available.
For the time being, the reported 20-minute Putin-Hasina conversation, as well as the claim regarding Doval’s presence, should be regarded as unconfirmed. Further clarification from the Indian government, the Kremlin or Sheikh Hasina would be needed to establish what happened and whether the reported exchange had any wider diplomatic significance.
