Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has broken her silence following her unexpected resignation, suggesting that the United States played a role in her removal from power.
In her first public statement since leaving office, Hasina revealed that her resignation was aimed at preventing further bloodshed, stating, “I resigned to stop the violence from escalating. They wanted to seize power over the dead bodies of students, but I prevented that by stepping down.”
Bangladesh is currently facing political uncertainty after Hasina resigned on August 5, amid rising student protests demanding an end to the contentious quota system for government jobs.
Fearing for her safety amid widespread violence, Hasina fled Dhaka aboard a military aircraft and is now in a secure location in India.
In the wake of her departure, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed to manage the transition and organize early elections.
The unrest following Hasina’s resignation has resulted in more than 230 deaths, increasing the total casualties since the protests began in mid-July to 560.
Addressing the protesting students, Hasina clarified that her previous remarks had been distorted to provoke them, insisting she never referred to the protesters as “Razakars.”
She encouraged the protesters to watch the full video of her speech, claiming that conspirators had manipulated her words to incite unrest and destabilize the nation.
Hasina also alluded to foreign interference in her ouster, particularly from the United States, asserting that she could have retained power if she had surrendered the sovereignty of Saint Martin Island and allowed the U.S. to exert control over the Bay of Bengal.
She called on the people of Bangladesh not to be swayed by radicals and referenced an earlier allegation of a conspiracy to create a Christian state by partitioning parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar, which she linked to her resignation.
Hasina’s comments underscore her belief that powerful international forces were involved in her removal, raising serious concerns about the future of Bangladesh’s sovereignty and stability.
