Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, recently broke her silence following her unexpected resignation and departure to India, subtly suggesting that the United States may have played a role in her removal from power.
In her statement, Hasina revealed that her decision to step down was to prevent further bloodshed. "I resigned to stop the violence. They wanted to take control over the bodies of students, but I avoided that by resigning," she explained, as reported by The Economic Times.
Bangladesh is currently experiencing significant political instability. Sheikh Hasina resigned on August 5 amidst mounting student protests against the controversial quota system in government employment.
Fearing for her safety as violence escalated, Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka aboard a military aircraft last week and is now in a secure location in India. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed to lead an interim government, tasked with managing the transition and organizing early elections.
Reflecting on her resignation, Hasina noted that staying in Bangladesh would have led to further casualties and chaos. "I became your leader because you believed in me; you were my strength," she addressed her supporters.
The turmoil following Hasina's resignation has claimed over 230 lives, adding to the death toll of 560 since the protests began in mid-July.
Addressing the students involved in the protests, Hasina emphasized that her words had been twisted to provoke unrest. She clarified that she never referred to the protesting students as ‘Razakars,’ a term historically associated with collaborators during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. "My words were manipulated to deceive you. Watch the full footage of that day to see how your innocence was exploited by conspirators," the Awami League leader urged.
Sheikh Hasina also alluded to external pressures in her ousting, mentioning that she could have retained power had she compromised Bangladesh's sovereignty. "If I had surrendered Saint Martin Island and allowed foreign dominance over the Bay of Bengal, I could have stayed in power," she claimed.
In a broader context, Hasina previously alleged that there were attempts to partition Bangladesh and Myanmar to create a Christian state akin to East Timor. She mentioned being offered a smooth reelection if she permitted the establishment of a foreign airbase in Bangladesh, though she did not specify which country was involved.
