Sheikh Hasina : at US Involvement in Her Ouster: “If I Had Surrendered Saint Martin Island…” Sheikh Hasina

First Public Declaration Following Resignation

For the first time since resigning and leaving for India, former prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has spoken out, raising the possibility that outside forces were involved in her removal. In a public statement, Hasina hinted that the sudden termination of her government might have been related to the US. “In order to stop seeing more violence

 I resigned. They wanted to take control of the kids’ corpses, but I stopped them by stepping down,” she said, according to The Economic Times.  The accuracy of this report has not been independently verified by HT.com.

Bangladesh’s Political Unrest

There is presently a great deal of political upheaval in Bangladesh. On August 5, Sheikh Hasina announced her resignation amid mounting demonstrations, mostly from students calling for the elimination of the divisive quota system for public employment. Hasina left Dhaka in a military plane out of fear for her safety as the protests had gotten so bad. She is currently in a safe place in India.

Hasina clarified in her remarks that more deaths and destruction could have resulted from the turmoil had she stayed in the nation. A transitional administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been put in place to supervise the process and get ready for early elections.

Hasina Talks to Students Who Are Protesting

Sheikh Hasina made it clear in her speech to the student demonstrators that she never called them “Razakars,” a word that was allegedly used to stir hatred towards her. “I misspoke in order to provoke you. She encouraged, “Watch the entire video from that day to see how conspirators have used your innocence to destabilise the country.”

Claims of American Involvement

Sheikh Hasina also made hints about outside influences on her decision to resign. Reportedly, she stated that she could have continued to rule “if I had surrendered the sovereignty of Saint Martin Island and allowed America to hold sway over the Bay of Bengal.” Hasina also pleaded with Bangladeshis not to fall for extreme propaganda.

Before her retirement in May, Hasina had claimed there was a plot to divide Bangladesh and Myanmar into separate Christian states, a la East Timor. She stated, without naming the country, that she was promised an easy reelection provided she permitted a foreign government to build an airbase in Bangladesh.