We have had no involvement at all, says US on Hasina's St Martin's Island claim

The White House on Monday strongly refuted allegations that the United States interfered in the internal affairs of Bangladesh, leading to the resignation and fleeing of the country’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

“We have had no involvement at all. Any reports or rumours that the United States government was involved in these events is simply false. That is not true,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on Monday.

Jean-Pierre was responding to media reports that quoted Hasina allegedly claiming that she could have stayed in power if she had surrendered the sovereignty of St Martin’s Island and allowed America to dominate the Bay of Bengal.

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Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed, has denied that his mother ever gave such a 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 said in a post on X.

The White House said it is the right and privilege of people of Bangladesh to choose their destiny.

“This (electing their leader) is a choice for and by the Bangladeshi people. We believe that the Bangladeshi people should determine the future of their government, and that’s where we stand. Any allegations, certainly, we will continue to say, and I have said here, is simply not true,” Jean-Pierre said.

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