Ayaz Rahman is the Sam Chronicler of Bangladesh Media Monitor.
Analysis of Indian broadcast media from December 2025 to February 13, 2026, the period leading up to the 2026 Bangladesh National Parliament Election, reveals that former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Veena Sikri emerged as a primary commentator on Bangladesh-related issues. During these three months, Sikri appeared approximately 24 times across several major Indian media outlets, including India Today, NDTV, ANI, Republic India, and News 18. Her most frequent platform was India Today, where she made 12 appearances, while she was featured at least twice each on NDTV, ANI, Republic India, and News 18.
The media framing during these broadcasts, shaped through both host approaches and guest speeches, consistently highlighted several recurring themes:
- Portraying Bangladesh as an unsafe environment for the Hindu community and characterizing the nation as a “Radical Islamist country”.
- Emphasizing border crises and heightened security concerns for India.
- Suggesting that while the Awami League regime was historically the most secure option for India’s borders, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) under the leadership of Tarique Rahman as Prime Minister is a preferable security partner for India over Jamaat-e-Islami.
The core agenda and political viewpoints expressed in these segments often aligned with India’s Hindu nationalistic views, showing a distinct favor toward the Awami League while maintaining an anti-Islamic and anti-Jamaat-e-Islami stance. Editorial priorities further reinforced these narratives, as hosts rarely interrupted Sikri, providing her an open floor and prioritized timing to speak, conditions that sometimes facilitated the spread of misinformation favorable to the media’s interests.
Consequently, Veena Sikri became a highly prioritized guest whose contributions fulfilled specific Indian media agendas. This treatment stood in sharp contrast to guests invited from Bangladesh, who were often denied an open floor and were frequently interrupted by hosts during their speeches.
What Veena Sikri Said About Bangladesh
Veena Sikri has dismissed the “July National Charter of 2025” as a fundamentally “unconstitutional document,” contending that the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration lacked the legal mandate to pursue constitutional overhauls. Following the decisive electoral triumph of the Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Sikri lauded the Bangladeshi electorate for prioritizing democratic principles over the “exhortations” of Jamaat-e-Islami. She posited that the BNP’s ascent represents a “new reset” for bilateral ties, observing that Tarique Rahman has recently articulated a more constructive stance toward India. Sikri, drawing on her experience as High Commissioner during the 2003-2006 BNP government, proposed that the deposed Sheikh Hasina should formally acknowledge Rahman’s victory. Additionally, she advocated for the immediate removal of Muhammad Yunus from power, asserting that the previous interim period’s reliance on Pakistani and Western influences should now be entirely discarded.
Sikri’s rhetoric frequently championing Bangladeshi democracy was often framed within an anti-Jamaat and anti-Islamic context, demonstrating a lingering preference for the Awami League framework while aligning with India’s broader Hindu nationalistic strategic priorities.
In her appearances on Statecraft, Sikri provided a critical examination of the surge in political volatility and violence within Bangladesh. She characterized the removal of Sheikh Hasina as a sophisticated “regime change operation” facilitated by a coalition of Pakistani interests, American influence, and Jamaat-e-Islami, aimed at restoring a “pre-1971 regime” structure. Sikri further labeled Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus as a “mouthpiece of the Jamaat-e-Islami,” citing his government’s inability to curb Islamist extremism and the brutal lynching of Hindu citizen Deepu Chandra Das. She also criticized what she termed the “partisan approach” of certain Western diplomatic missions, specifically rebuking the German Embassy for its symbolic mourning of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi while allegedly overlooking the systemic persecution of religious minorities.
Breakdown of Media Outlets and Segment Chronology
TV Channel Name: India Today
1. Topic: Bangladesh Crisis: Hindu Killed, Token Action By Yunus? | Islamist Mob On Rampage, Run Riot
Date: 20 December 2025
Host: Gaurav Sawant
Guests:
- Veena Sikri
- Muktadir Rashid
2. Bangladesh Crisis: Journalist Muktadir Rashid Claims ‘Secular Lynching’ Of Hindu Man, Denies
Date: 20 December 2025
Host: Gaurav Sawant
Guests:
- Veena Sikri
- Muktadir Rashid
3. Veena Sikri: ‘Muhammad Yunus Is Only The Mouthpiece Of The Jamaat-e-Islami’
Date: 22 December 2025
Host: Geeta Mohan
Guest: Veena Sikri
4. Anarchy In Bangladesh, Trump’s Rally Shock; Geeta Mohan On India’s Security Risk
Date: 22 December 2025
Host: Geeta Mohan
Guest: Veena Sikri
5. Discussing the Brutal Lynching of Deepu Chandra Das and the Murder of Sharif Osman Hadi
Date: 24 December 2025
Host: Gaurav Sawant
Guests:
- Veena Sikri
- MD Kamruzzaman
- Shafaquat Rabbee
6. ‘Deepu Das Burnt Alive’: Gaurav Sawant Confronts Dhaka Journalist
Date: 24 December 2025
Host: Gaurav Sawant
Guest: Veena Sikri
7. Bangladesh Crisis: Slain Student Leader’s Brother Accuses Yunus Regime of Murder to ‘Foil Elections’
Date: 24 December 2025
Host: Gaurav Sawant
Guests:
- Veena Sikri
- Saleh Ahmed
8. Bangladesh Unrest | Ex-Envoy: Yunus Is Jamaat Mouthpiece, Bangladesh Becoming ‘Pre-1971 Pakistan’
Date: 27 December 2025
Host: Geeta Mohan
Guest: Veena Sikri
9. KKR’s Mustafizur Pick Sparks Debate Amid Bangladesh Unrest
Date: 2 January 2026
Host: Gaurav Sawant
Guest: Veena Sikri
10. Hindus Unsafe in Bangladesh Under MD Yunus Government?
Date: 6 January 2026
Host: Gaurav Sawant
Guests:
- Shafaquat Rabbee
- Veena Sikri
- Abhijit Mitra
- Lt Gen KJS Dhillon
11. Bangladesh Election: Experts On Jamaat Rise, ISI Influence & New Political Landscape
Date: 13 February 2026
Host: Gaurav Sawant
Guests:
- Veena Sikri
- Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury
12. What’s Next For India-Bangladesh Ties After BNP Win In Elections 2026
Date: 13 February 2026
Hosts:
- Geeta Mohan
- Gaurav Sawant
Guest: Veena Sikri
Total India Today appearances: 12
NDTV
1. Bangladesh Protest | Radicals Protest At Indian Mission: Free Run For Radicals In Dhaka
Date: 18 December 2025
Host: Shiv Aroor
Guests:
- Veena Sikri
- MD Kamruzzaman
2. Bangladesh Protest | Pakistan Behind Bangladesh Unrest Via Jamaat-e-Islami: Ex Envoy, Veena Sikri
Date: 19 December 2025
Host: Shiv Aroor
Guests:
- Veena Sikri
- MD Kamruzzaman
3. Mustafizur Rahman News | BCCI, Bangladesh At Loggerheads: Cricket Takes Back Seat To Geopolitics
Date: 4 January 2026
Host: Raheesha Sehgal
Guest: Veena Sikri
Total NDTV appearances: 3
Republic World
1. Is Yunus Losing His Footing As Bangladesh’s Supreme Leader?
Date: 24 December 2025
Guest: Veena Sikri
2. Bangladesh Election: Will Yunus Become Bangladesh’s Leader?
Date: 12 February 2026
Guest: Veena Sikri
Total Republic World appearances: 2
News18 Network
News18
Topic: Osman Hadi’s Janaza at Parliament, Yunus Calls India Hater a Martyr
Date: 20 December 2025
Guest: Veena Sikri
News18 India
Topic: Bangladesh’s Election Game Exposed! Awami League Absence, Jamaat Participation
Date: 12 February 2026
Guest: Veena Sikri
Total News18 appearances: 2
ANI
1. Bangladesh Violence Is Controlled By Pakistan, Alleges Ex Envoy Veena Sikri
Date: 19 December 2025
2. Veena Sikri Lauds BNP’s Tarique Rahman’s Victory In Bangladesh General Elections 2026
Date: 13 February 2026
Total ANI appearances: 2
PTI
Pak-Backed Jamaat Rejection Shows Bangladesh Supports Democratic Values
Date: 13 February 2026
Guest: Veena Sikri
Total PTI appearances: 1
Times of India
US-Bangladesh Trade Deal Brings Great Opportunity For India
Date: 11 February 2026
Guest: Veena Sikri
Total Times of India appearances: 1
The Tribune (Using ANI Footage)
Tarique’s Grassroots Gap & What BNP Must Do Next
Date: 13 February 2026
Guest: Veena Sikri
Total The Tribune appearances: 1
Summary
| Media Outlet | Number of Appearances |
| India Today | 12 |
| NDTV | 3 |
| Republic World | 2 |
| News18 / News18 India | 2 |
| ANI | 2 |
| PTI | 1 |
| Times of India | 1 |
| The Tribune | 1 |
Total identified appearances/interviews/commentaries: 24 (including re-uploaded or differently framed versions of similar discussions across television and digital platforms).