White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on August 12, 2024. | Photo credit: AP
The United States “had no involvement” BangladeshThe White House said on Monday that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had described the claim as “blatantly false.”
Ms Hasina, 76, stepped down as prime minister on August 5 following a student-led revolt against her government and flew by helicopter to India, her old ally.
When asked about allegations of US interference, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “We had no involvement.”
“Any reports or rumours that the US government was involved in these incidents are completely false,” he said at a press briefing.
“This is a choice made for and by the Bangladeshi people. We believe the Bangladeshi people should determine the future of the Bangladeshi government, and that is what we stand by.”
Ms Hasina’s son and a former government adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy had alleged that unidentified foreign forces were supporting the protests, though he did not provide any evidence for this.
“I believe at this point it is from outside Bangladesh,” he said over the weekend.
“Only an intelligence agency has the capability to smuggle and supply weapons to protesters,” said the US-based Wazed.
In May, Ms Hasina had accused a “white-skinned” foreign country of conspiring against her government because it was not allowed to build an airbase.
“Next time they said there would be no elections in the country,” he said at a meeting of the then ruling Awami League-led coalition, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
She said, “We have liberated this country through war. I do not want to gain power by renting or giving parts of my country to anyone.” She claimed that the “conspiracy is still going on”, but she did not reveal which country is behind it.
The United States has generally friendly relations with Bangladesh, and Hasina is seen as a partner on a number of issues, including shared concerns about Islamic extremism.
But Washington has been critical of Bangladesh’s undemocratic transition and has previously banned visas for Bangladeshis accused of undermining the election.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been sworn in as the head of the interim government after ousting dictator Hasina.