Hasina says she ‘doesn’t believe’ US or any foreign power was behind Aug 5 episode

“I did not want to leave Bangladesh. But it was made clear to me that remaining would not only have put my life in danger but also the lives of those around me,” she says

Sheikh Hasina has said she “does not believe “the United States or any other foreign power was “involved” in the fall of the Awami League government in Bangladesh.

Speaking to News18, an India-based media outlet, she said Muhammad Yunus, as an economist, managed to form “a network of influential Western admirers”, which may have shaped perceptions abroad.

In the interview, published on Thursday, she discussed the July episode, the role of the Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the interim authority, the “rise” of extremist groups inside Bangladesh, and India’s position.

News18 journalist Manoj Gupta opened the interview by asking what precise intelligence or threat indicators compelled her to leave Dhaka -- whether it was a genuine coup attempt, a collapse of command structure, or an orchestrated “forced exit” with tacit consent from her own security circle.

In response, Hasina said: “By early August, the once peaceful protests had transformed into a state of lawlessness led by a violent mob of radical agitators. This was a far cry from the initial student protests over civil service job quotas.

“Of course, the full scale of the conspiracy only became clear much later. When Yunus granted immunity to all the perpetrators of last summer’s violence and dissolved the inquiry we set up to investigate the cause, it was obvious that a plan had been devised to overthrow my government.”

“At the time, leaving was a matter of survival. I did not want to leave Bangladesh, but it was made clear to me that remaining would not only have put my life in danger but also the lives of those around me,” she added.

About a week after she lost power on Aug 5, 2024, Hasina alleged that the US was behind the fall of her government.

Addressing party leaders, activists and supporters, she said at the time at a media briefing: “I could have stayed in power if I had handed over St Martin’s [Island] and the Bay of Bengal to America.”

During her 15 years in office, she raised similar accusations more than once and now faces charges at the International Crimes Tribunal over allegations linked to the July crackdown.

She and several ministers and party leaders are defendants in multiple cases over alleged killings and enforced disappearances.

In May 2023, she told the BBC that the US might not want her in office. The following month, in a press briefing, she said: “If I now say that yes, we will lease out St Martin’s island or our country to someone, then there is no problem for me to stay in power. But that will not happen.”

She also said that in Jan 2024, ahead of the 12th parliamentary polls without the BNP, she received a proposal from a “white” individual who said she could remain in office if she permitted a foreign airbase.

Against that backdrop, Gupta asked her: “How would you describe Washington’s role -- was the US merely signalling for political reform, or was it actively backing the military-intellectual bloc that wanted you out in the name of ‘restoring democracy’?”

In reply, she said: “We have always had good relationships with successive US administrations and have no reason to believe that the US government or other foreign powers were actively involved.

“While Yunus has cultivated a network of influential Western admirers from his work as an economist, those who admired him mistook his economic theories for democratic credentials. Now, this illusion is fading, and those admirers are increasingly seeing him for what he is: an unelected head of state who has placed radical extremists in his cabinet, dismantled Bangladesh’s Constitution, and stood silent while minorities have been oppressed.

“President Trump, with whom I have very good relations, has publicly expressed his dislike of Yunus.

Speaking on the role of the then Army chief, she said the military was placed in an “impossible situation."

She said, “Defending a constitutional government against overwhelming mob violence while avoiding any further loss of life.

“Our discussions focused on preventing a complete breakdown in law and order and ensuring the safety of my family and staff and of ordinary civilians on the streets of Dhaka. Whether or what kind of external pressure influenced decisions, I cannot say.”

Asked about India’s role before and after the July Uprising, she said: “India is a longstanding friend, and I am deeply grateful to the Indian people for welcoming me.

“As Bangladesh’s most important ally, India has an interest in seeing a stable, legitimate and democratically elected regime in Dhaka backed by the support of its people. Yunus’s evident problems with Delhi have nothing to do with me. They are caused by his sponsorship of extremists, his failure to protect religious minorities, and the anti-India rhetoric emanating from his administration.”

She was asked whether Yunus was a “Western-fronted civilian face” or merely symbolic of a broader anti-Awami coalition.

Hasina said, “It is no secret that Yunus was popular at California salons, owing to his former work as an economist. But he is not a symbol of democratic regime change, nor does he command any broad support.

“He is an unelected figure who is now seeking to bar from the election a party that is supported by millions and which has been elected nine times in the past, including the last time Bangladeshis were able to go to the ballot box.”

“If Westerners think Yunus is a friendly face, they are being fooled. In fact, he is being used as the front man by the extremists in his administration, who are pursuing a sectarian, score-settling, and socially regressive domestic agenda,” she added.