Hasina, who is Bangladesh's longest-serving prime minister, cautioned the new interim government against being manipulated by foreign entities.
Digital Desk: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently seeking refuge in India, has publicly accused foreign powers, including the United States, of being involved in her ouster. This statement follows recent remarks by the Indian government suggesting that a "foreign hand" might be influencing the political crisis in Bangladesh.
In a message to her Awami League supporters on Saturday, Hasina claimed, “I could have stayed in power if I had left St. Martin and the Bay of Bengal for America,” as reported by ThePrint.
Hasina's tenure had long been marked by strained relations with the US. She also mentioned that prior to the January elections, “a white man” had proposed a smooth return to power in exchange for an airbase. In her latest remarks, Hasina, who is Bangladesh's longest-serving prime minister, cautioned the new interim government against being manipulated by foreign entities.
The 17-member advisory council, which includes members affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, took their oaths Thursday night. Earlier this week, the Bangladesh Parliament was dissolved, and army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced Hasina’s resignation shortly after she fled the country.
“I resigned so that I did not have to see the procession of dead bodies. They wanted to come to power over your (students’) bodies, I did not allow it. I came with power,” read Hasina’s statement.
“Maybe if I was in the country today, more lives would have been lost, more wealth would have been destroyed,” she added.
In her statement, Hasina said, “I resigned to avoid witnessing the procession of dead bodies. They aimed to seize power over your (students’) bodies, which I did not permit. I came with power.” She further added, “If I had remained in the country, more lives might have been lost, and more property might have been destroyed.”
She is expected to address the media in India next week. The recent student protests against Hasina resulted in over 300 deaths, prompting calls for investigations from the US, UK, Canada, and other countries. With the new interim government in place, Washington expressed hope for a “democratic future” in Bangladesh.
Nobel Laureate Mohammed Yunus, who is leading the new interim government, is believed to have strong connections with the US, having previously met with American diplomats to discuss Bangladeshi politics, according to WikiLeaks cables. The US is also Bangladesh’s largest foreign direct investor.
In her message, Hasina promised to return to Bangladesh soon, despite acknowledging her defeat. “I will return soon, Inshallah. The defeat is mine, but the victory belongs to the people of Bangladesh,” she declared. She also addressed accusations of her words being distorted, clarifying, “I never referred to you as Razakars…My words have been distorted. A group has exploited your peril.”
The term ‘Razakar’ is a derogatory reference to those who collaborated with the Pakistan Army during Bangladesh’s 1971 war for independence.
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