The White House has stated that the United States has no involvement in the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. In a statement on Monday, August 12, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made this clarification.
This came after media outlets, The Economic Times and The Print, published reports on Sunday claiming that Sheikh Hasina accused the United States of playing a role in her removal from power because the U.S. allegedly wanted control over Bangladesh's St. Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal. However, her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, asserted that his mother did not make any such statement to the media.
During her time in office, Sheikh Hasina had repeatedly said that the United States wanted control of St. Martin's Island, and because she refused to comply, the U.S. government did not want her in power. She also mentioned that if she agreed to hand over the island, she would face no obstacles in remaining in power.
On Monday, August 12, the White House spokesperson was asked about these allegations from the former Prime Minister.
In response, Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed the allegations as entirely false, stating that the U.S. had no involvement in Sheikh Hasina's removal from power. She emphasized that any news suggesting otherwise is baseless.
She further added that it is the choice of the people of Bangladesh. The U.S. believes that the future of the Bangladeshi government should be determined by its people, and the U.S. stands with them.
It is worth noting that Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister on August 5, amid mass protests, and reportedly fled to India, where she is currently staying in Delhi, according to various media reports.