Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid has made serious accusations against the United States, claiming that her ousting from office was part of a plan involving Saint Martin Island.
According to statements relayed by her close associates, Hasina alleged that the US tried to manipulate Bangladesh’s political situation by pressuring her to give up control of Saint Martin Island, which is strategically important.
Saint Martin Island, situated in the northeastern Bay of Bengal, is Bangladesh’s only coral reef island and holds significant economic and strategic value. Locally known as “Narikel Jinjira” or Coconut Island, it lies about 9 kilometers south of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula and 8 kilometers west of Myanmar’s northwest coast.
The island is home to around 5,500 people who rely on fishing, rice and coconut farming, and tourism for their livelihoods.
Hasina’s allegations focus on the island’s geopolitical importance. She claimed that the US wanted to establish an airbase on Saint Martin Island, which would have allowed it to exert more control over the Bay of Bengal. Hasina believes that her refusal to surrender the island’s sovereignty contributed to her political downfall.
The control of Saint Martin Island has been a disputed topic between Bangladesh and Myanmar. The dispute was partly resolved in 2012 by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), which confirmed the island as part of Bangladesh’s territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.
However, tensions flared again in 2018 when Myanmar’s updated map mistakenly showed the island as its own territory. Myanmar later corrected this mistake, reaffirming that the island belongs to Bangladesh.
In a speech she intended to give to the nation before her resignation, Hasina expressed her belief that the US’s inability to secure an airbase on the island was a key factor in her government’s collapse.
She stated that if she had stayed in power, the situation could have led to significant violence, as she alleged that the US was trying to use the crisis for political gain.
Hasina also claimed that the US sought to influence the student-led protests that ultimately led to her resignation, asserting that these protests were part of a larger strategy to destabilize the aim was to destabilize the area and establish a new ‘Christian state’ by combining parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The former Prime Minister also addressed criticisms of her comments about the student protesters during the demonstrations.
She clarified that her remarks, which were perceived as offensive, were misunderstood. She emphasized that her intent was not to discredit the students but to highlight the broader political context behind the unrest.
Hasina concluded her statement by encouraging the people of Bangladesh to stay hopeful and strong, stating that her resignation was only a temporary setback and that the Awami League would emerge stronger from the crisis.
