Hasina Wajid blames US for her ouster, vows to return

The Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Hasina Wajid, has issued her first statement after being ousted from power and fleeing the country.

In an interview with the Indian media outlet The Print, Hasina blamed the United States for the end of her 15-year rule, asserting that her refusal to allow the US to establish an airbase on St. Martin’s Island led to her downfall.

Hasina claimed that if she had agreed to the US request, she might have retained power.

“It was considered a crime not to give St. Martin Island to America,” she stated.

READ: Bangladesh PM Hasina ‘resigns’; army chief announces coalition govt

She added that had she not resigned, she would have faced severe violence, including a “procession of dead bodies.”

The former Prime Minister accused the US of conspiring to destabilize Bangladesh and stressed that her refusal to compromise the country’s sovereignty by handing over the island was the reason for her removal.

Despite her defeat, Hasina expressed confidence that the people of Bangladesh, for whom her family had sacrificed, would prevail.

“Do not lose hope; I will come back soon,” she assured her supporters.

St. Martin’s Island, which spans only 3 square kilometers, is located in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal. The island has recently gained strategic importance, which Hasina highlighted in her interview.