International Desk, 11th August: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has publicly addressed her recent resignation and departure to India for the first time, suggesting a possible U.S. influence in her ouster. Speaking to The Economic Times, Hasina explained her resignation was a strategic move to prevent further violence, as she claimed there were efforts to seize power over the bodies of students protesting against the controversial quota system for government jobs.
Hasina, who resigned on August 5, fled Dhaka in a military aircraft last week amid escalating violence. She is now in a secure location in India. The resignation has led to a period of intense political instability in Bangladesh, with over 230 deaths reported since the protests began in mid-July, raising the total casualties to 560.
An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been set up to manage the transition and prepare for early elections. Hasina noted that remaining in the country could have resulted in more deaths and destruction.
In her address, Hasina also refuted claims that she referred to the protesting students as ‘Razakars,’ a term associated with alleged collaborators of the Pakistani military during the 1971 Liberation War. She stated that her words had been distorted and used to incite the students.
Furthermore, Hasina claimed that she could have retained power had she agreed to surrender sovereignty over Saint Martin Island and permit American influence over the Bay of Bengal. She urged her fellow countrymen not to be swayed by radicals.
In May, Hasina had alleged a conspiracy to create a Christian state by partitioning parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar, claiming she was offered an easy reelection in exchange for allowing a foreign airbase in Bangladesh, though she did not specify the country involved.
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