Bangladesh’s Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina’s Past Statements Spark Speculations
“A White Country is hatching conspiracy against me. I was offered a hassle-free election if I allowed them to build an airbase inside Bangladesh” – Sheikh Hasina
Monitoring Desk
Dhaka
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s past statements have sparked speculations about US hand in her ouster, who, in an interview, had alleged that “A White Country is hatching conspiracy against her.”
After a few weeks violent protests, Sheikh Hasina had resigned and left the country in a military helicopter for India on August 5, 2024, under the Bangladesh Army Chief.
‘The Times Now News’, in a report published today (August 6), said, “Sheikh Hasina won the election in January, which was boycotted by BNP. The US State Department had stated that the elections were not free and fair.”
“Months later, the country witnessed nation-wide violent protests,” report said.
The Times Now News quoted Sheikh Hasina as saying that “A White Country is hatching conspiracy against her.”
Hasina had claimed that she was offered hassle-free re-election in January if she allowed a foreign country to build an airbase inside Bangladesh. “If I allowed a certain country to build an airbase, then I would have no problem,” she said according to the report which quoted her remarks published by Daily Star newspaper of Dhaka. She however did not name any particular country.
In a speech delivered in the Bangladesh Parliament in mid-April, the premier claimed that the USA aimed to change the power structure in Bangladesh.
“I’m daughter of Father of Nation, Sheikh Mjib-u-Rehman. We won the liberation war. I don’t want to come into power by renting a part of our country or handing it to over to any other country,” Sheikh Hasina had categorically stated and revealed, “Like East Timor, they will carve out a Christian country taking parts of Bangladesh (Chattogram) and Myanmar with a base in Bay of Bengal.”
In 2023 also Sheikh Hasina had criticized the USA. The TBS News Bangladesh on May 16, 2023 reproduced an interview of Sheikh Hasina with BBC during her visit to the UK, in which then Prime Minister launched a scathing critique against the USA, accusing the country of harboring a bias against her administration.
“Like East Timor, they will carve out a Christian country taking parts of Bangladesh (Chattogram) and Myanmar with a base in Bay of Bengal.”
She pointed out the sanctions imposed on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as a reflection of that bias.
During the half-hour-long conversation with journalist Yalda Hakim, the premier when asked to comment on the sanctions imposed on RAB, she said that the special force, which had been established in 2004 following USA’s advice, had received training and equipment from the North American country. She believed that RAB operated in a manner taught by the USA. Hence, she found the sanctions puzzling. “This is a big question for me too,” she added.
“I don’t know. Perhaps the USA did not want my work [running the state] to continue or was unwilling to acknowledge the developments I have ensured for Bangladesh.”
The former premier had said, “I think sanctions and counter-sanctions are like a game. It is still not clear to me why they [USA] had imposed the ban.”
She also mentioned one of the Bangabandhu killers seeking refuge in the US saying her repeated requests for extradition had been rebuffed.
In a speech delivered in the Bangladesh Parliament in mid-April, the premier claimed that the USA aimed to change the power structure in Bangladesh.
She also mentioned one of the Bangabandhu killers seeking refuge in the US saying her repeated requests for extradition had been rebuffed.
When asked for evidence to support this statement, Sheikh Hasina questioned the reasons behind the sanctions on RAB. She said while the law enforcement agencies were actively countering terrorism and taking action against human rights violators, it appeared that the USA had sided with the violators rather than the victims.
In response to Yalda Hakim’s question about the motivations [of the USA] to target her, Hasina revealed that her father had been killed by conspirators. These individuals, who were responsible for the murder of her family members, including her 10-year-old brother, did not want anyone from her family to come to power.
Meanwhile, The Diplomat reported on June 25, 2024 that in a significant departure from its long-standing tradition of using American-made Boeing aircraft, Biman Airlines, Bangladesh’s national air carrier, recently decided to buy four European-made Airbus planes.
Read: JI, BNP behind the bloody violence in Bangladesh!
Biman Bangladesh has a fleet of over 20 planes, most of which are wide-bodied Boeing planes, with some Dash-8 turboprops.
In an official statement, Biman’s outgoing Managing Director Shafizul Azim had said that the purchase of Airbus planes is driven by a desire to avoid future uncertainty, given the recent safety concerns surrounding Boeing. By diversifying the airline’s fleet Biman is ensuring its long-term stability and security, he said.
Azim’s argument is not without basis. Boeing is facing serious credibility issues due to accidents, flaws in their aircraft, and slow delivery of planes to customers. As a result, the company has lost $32 billion worldwide.
Bangladesh’s relationship with the United States has been deteriorating in recent years. In 2021, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Bangladesh’s elite paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion and several of its top security officials
However, Biman’s decision to purchase Airbus aircraft is influenced not by financial or business logic. Rather it appears to have been heavily influenced by geopolitics and Bangladesh’s foreign policy priorities, report said.
Bangladesh’s relationship with the United States has been deteriorating in recent years. In 2021, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Bangladesh’s elite paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and several of its top security officials for human rights violations.
Then, in the run-up to Bangladesh’s controversial one-sided general elections held in January 2024, the U.S. announced visa restrictions for officials and politicians who were found to be subverting free and fair elections in Bangladesh. Recently, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on Bangladesh’s former army chief for alleged corruption, report added.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has responded strongly to the U.S. actions. She accused Washington of conspiring against her government and recently, without naming the U.S., she claimed that a country is plotting to establish an air base and a Christian state like that of Timor-Leste, using the territories of Bangladesh and Myanmar. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu denied these allegations.
The decision to shift away from Boeing is likely part of Dhaka’s responses to the recent U.S. decisions, The Diplomat opined.
Read: Has Bangladesh students’ protest been hijacked by Jamaat-e-Islami?
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