Which island of Bangladesh was the US demanding? [TKB World]

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has blamed the US for the fall of her government. Hasina has alleged that she was ousted from power because she did not hand over St. Martin Island to the US, which would have enabled it to establish its dominance in the Bay of Bengal. She has appealed to Bangladeshi citizens not to be misled by the fundamentalists.

Hasina said, ‘I resigned so that I do not have to see a pile of corpses. They wanted to come to power on the corpses of students, but I did not allow it, I resigned from the post of Prime Minister. I could have remained in power if I had surrendered the sovereignty of St. Martin Island to the US and allowed it to establish its dominance in the Bay of Bengal. I request the people of my country, please do not be misled by the fundamentalists.’

Sheikh Hasina said ‘If I had stayed in the country, more lives would have been lost, more resources and public property would have been damaged. I took the extremely difficult decision to leave the country. I became your leader because you chose me, you were my strength. My heart is crying after receiving the news that many leaders of my party Awami League were killed, workers are being harassed and their houses are being vandalized and set on fire. With the grace of Allah, I will return soon. Awami League has stood up again and again fighting challenges. I will always pray for the future of Bangladesh, the nation my great father dreamed of and strived for. The country for which my father and family gave their lives.’

Never called students Razakars: Hasina

Referring to the students’ protest over job quota, Hasina said, ‘I would like to reiterate to the young students of Bangladesh. I never called you Razakars. Rather, my words were twisted to provoke you. I request you to watch the entire video of that day. The conspirators took advantage of your innocence and used you to destabilize the country.’

America is responsible for the change of power

Sheikh Hasina had said, ‘They are trying to end democracy and bring a government that will have no democratic existence.’ Sources claim that the rioters who allegedly created a ruckus while protesting against reservation in government jobs were actually playing into the hands of foreign forces who were planning a ‘regime change’ in Bangladesh. Some Awami League leaders close to Hasina have also blamed the US for the change of power in Dhaka. They say that a senior US diplomat who visited Dhaka in May is behind this.

US pressure was for anti-China initiative

Awami League leaders have alleged that US diplomats were pressuring Sheikh Hasina to take initiative against China. One of the leaders of Hasina’s party accused US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas of favoring the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Peter Haas completed his term in July. The US government was constantly criticizing Sheikh Hasina and her party regarding human rights and election process. The US State Department said in a statement in January this year that the general elections held in Bangladesh were not free and fair, as not all parties participated in it.

Russia had warned last year itself

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a sudden press briefing on December 15, 2023 that if Sheikh Hasina comes to power in the next election, the US will use all its powers to overthrow her government. He had warned that the US would create a chaotic situation like the ‘Arab Spring’ to bring about a change of power in Bangladesh. Decade ago, the ‘Arab Spring’ in West Asia (Middle East) was initially led by university, college and school students, which started in Tunisia and gradually spread to many countries in the region.