NEW DELHI, AUG 12: A day after some media outlets reported that former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina blamed the United States for the crisis that led to her government’s downfall, her son, Sajeeb Wazed, clarified that his mother had made no such statement.

“The recent resignation statement attributed to my mother published in a newspaper is completely false and fabricated. I have just confirmed with her that she did not make any statement either before or since leaving Dhaka,” Wazed posted on X.

The recent resignation statement attributed to my mother published in a newspaper is completely false and fabricated. I have just confirmed with her that she did not make any statement either before or since leaving Dhaka

— Sajeeb Wazed (@sajeebwazed) August 11, 2024
Media reports had claimed that Hasina’s alleged resignation letter mentioned that she could have saved her government if she had agreed to hand over St Martin Island — a strategically located area 9km south of Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula — to the United States.

Meanwhile, violence continues to engulf Bangladesh as unrest escalates, even after Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus was appointed to lead the interim government. Yunus faces the immense challenge of restoring order amidst ongoing bloodshed and widespread chaos.

Also Read: Sheikh Hasina blames US of plotting her ouster

The situation has worsened as the country’s police force, after being brutally attacked — even during attempts to surrender — has refused to work. Officers, fearing further violence, are taking a cautious approach, exacerbating the disorder.

“The police are sitting in plain clothes at their respective stations but remain passive. They have a list of demands, including the creation of a separate ministry for them, and until then, they will go slow,” Professor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, a well-known political commentator in Dhaka, told TNIE.

Additionally, the Border Security Force (BSF) reported apprehending 11 Bangladeshi nationals attempting to infiltrate into India.

Sheikh Hasina accuses US of ousting her for refusing to surrender Saint Martin Island

News Desk

NEW DELHI, AUG 11: Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now residing in India, has accused the United States of playing a role in her removal from power.

In a statement quoted by the Indian newspaper, Hasina claimed she could have remained in office had she been willing to compromise Bangladesh’s sovereignty, particularly by surrendering Saint Martin Island and allowing US influence over the Bay of Bengal.

“I resigned so that I did not have to see the procession of dead bodies. They wanted to come to power over the dead bodies of students, but I did not allow it”, the ousted Bangladeshi PM said.

“I could have remained in power if I had surrendered the sovereignty of Saint Martin Island and allowed America to hold sway over the Bay of Bengal,” Hasina stated, urging her countrymen not to be manipulated by radical elements.

Saint Martin Island, a small 3-square-kilometer landmass in the Bay of Bengal, is situated near the southern tip of Bangladesh.

Hasina expressed deep sorrow over the violence and unrest that followed her resignation on August 5, amid growing student protests against the controversial quota system for government jobs.

The unrest, which included killings, harassment, and vandalism, led to concerns for Hasina’s safety, prompting her to leave Dhaka on a military aircraft. She is currently under protection at an undisclosed location in India.

“My heart cries upon receiving news that many leaders have been killed, workers are being harassed, and their homes are subjected to vandalism and arson. With the grace of almighty Allah, I will return soon”.

“Awami League has stood up again and again. I shall forever pray for the future of Bangladesh, the nation which my great father strived for,” she said.

Hasina also addressed the ongoing student protests, clarifying that her previous comments were distorted to incite unrest.

“I have never called you Razakars. My words were distorted to incite you. Conspirators have taken advantage of your innocence and used you to destabilize the nation,” she said, urging students to view the full context of her statements.

Previously, during a parliamentary session, Hasina accused the US of attempting to orchestrate a regime change in Bangladesh.

Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, echoed these concerns, suggesting that the recent protests were likely instigated by a foreign intelligence agency, though he refrained from explicitly naming the US

The United States has been consistently critical of Bangladesh’s human rights record and electoral processes.

Agencies 

TEHRAN, AUG 11: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has nominated a moderate diplomat as foreign minister and a female official as urban development minister as he presented his new cabinet.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced on Sunday the names of the 19-member cabinet presented by the president during an assembly session broadcast live on state television.

The nominations appear in line with the hopes that the election of Pezeshkian last month, to replace the hardline Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May, could lead to a thaw in Iran’s relations with the West.

However, the parliament, which is dominated by hardliners, will begin a review of the nominees starting on Monday, and then vote whether or not to confirm the lineup.

For foreign minister, Pezeshkian picked Abbas Araghchi, a 61-year-old career diplomat. Araghchi, who has extolled open, yet critical, talks with the West, served as the chief negotiator in nuclear talks between Tehran and world powers from 2013 to 2021.

He also served as Iran’s ambassador to Japan and Finland, and as a deputy of then-Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was instrumental in reaching the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Farzaneh Sadegh was nominated as roads and urban development minister. If confirmed, the 48-year-old would become only the second Iranian woman to hold a ministerial post since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979, after Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi became health minister in 2009.

However, many lawmakers voiced their opposition when her name was read out by the speaker during Sunday’s session.

The appointment of the new cabinet comes as the world awaits Iran’s next move in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Iran has angrily blamed Israel for the killing and vowed harsh retaliation. Western leaders have pleaded for restraint, saying that military action by Iran would threaten to tip the war in Gaza into a full-blown regional conflict.

Pezeshkian came to power with promises to improve ties with the world and ease social restrictions at home. It is thought that he worries that a major military confrontation with Israel would jeopardise his priorities.

General Aziz Nasirzadeh, a former commander of the Iranian Air Force, has been put forward to take the helm at the defence ministry.

The president named General Eskandar Momeni, a 60-year-old police commander and relatively-moderate former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as interior minister.

Mohsen Paknezhad, a 58-year-old executive director with a long career in the country’s energy industry has been tapped as oil minister.

In late July, Pezeshkian had announced that he would “consult and coordinate” with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state, to present the final list of ministers.

DHAKA, AUG 11: Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid has levelled serious allegations against the United States, claiming that her removal from office was part of a scheme related to Saint Martin Island.

In a statement conveyed through close associates, Hasina alleged that the US sought to influence Bangladesh’s political landscape by pressuring her to cede control over the strategically significant island.

Saint Martin Island, located in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, is Bangladesh’s sole coral reef island and holds considerable importance both economically and strategically. Known locally as “Narikel Jinjira” or Coconut Island, it is approximately 9 kilometers south of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula and 8 kilometers west of Myanmar’s northwest coast.

The island supports a local population of about 5,500 people, whose livelihoods depend on fishing, rice and coconut cultivation, and tourism.

Hasina’s claims are rooted in the island’s geopolitical significance. She asserted that the US aimed to establish an airbase on Saint Martin Island, which would have allowed it to exert greater influence over the Bay of Bengal. According to Hasina, her refusal to surrender the island’s sovereignty contributed to her political downfall.

The sovereignty of Saint Martin Island has been a contentious issue between Bangladesh and Myanmar. The dispute was partially resolved in 2012 by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), which confirmed the island’s status within Bangladesh’s territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.

However, tensions resurfaced in 2018 when Myanmar’s updated map incorrectly depicted the island as its own territory. Myanmar later corrected this error, reaffirming the island’s position as part of Bangladesh.

In her address, which was intended to be delivered to the nation before her resignation, Hasina expressed her belief that the US’s failure to secure an airbase on the island played a crucial role in her administration’s collapse.

She asserted that had she remained in power, the situation would have led to significant bloodshed, as the US allegedly sought to leverage the crisis for political gain.

Hasina further alleged that the US aimed to influence the student-led protests that eventually led to her resignation, claiming that the protests were part of a broader strategy to destabilize the region and create a new “Christian state” by merging parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The former Prime Minister has also addressed criticisms regarding her comments about the student protesters during the demonstrations.

She clarified that her remarks, which were construed as disparaging, were misinterpreted and that her intention was not to undermine the students but rather to address the broader political context of the unrest.

Hasina concluded her statement by urging the people of Bangladesh to remain hopeful and resilient, asserting that her resignation was a temporary setback and that the Awami League would emerge stronger from the crisis.