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The US president addresses the issue after his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington
Published : 14 Feb 2025, 12:14 PM
Donald Trump has dismissed claims that the so-called US "deep state" played a role in the recent political unrest in Bangladesh that culminated in the toppling of the Sheikh Hasina government after more than 15 years in power.
The US president addressed the issue at a joint media briefing in Washington, DC, on Thursday following his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the briefing, an Indian journalist raised the issue of Bangladesh in a question for Trump.
The journalist first asked Modi about India’s role in Ukraine peace efforts. He then turned to Trump and asked about the potential involvement of the "US deep state" in Bangladesh's affairs.
"Well, there was no role for our deep state," Trump said.
Pointing toward Modi, he added, "[The situation in Bangladesh] is something that the prime minister [Modi] has been working on for a long time... I’ll leave Bangladesh to the prime minister."
However, when Modi responded, he focussed solely on India’s position on peace efforts in Ukraine and made no comments on Bangladesh.
Asked how Delhi was seeing Trump’s comments on the situation in Bangladesh, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri did not provide any opinion, but noted that Modi had spoken about it to Trump at their meeting.
“This was a subject that was discussed between the two leaders. And the PM shared his views and indeed his concerns with regard to recent developments in Bangladesh and how India sees the situation,” Misri said.
“I think we hope that the situation in Bangladesh will also move forward in a direction where we can pursue relations in a constructive and stable way with them.”
“There are concerns about that situation and the prime minister shared those views with President Trump.”
The term deep state generally refers to an alleged covert network of unelected government officials and private entities that exert undue influence on government policies. In the US, Trump and his supporters frequently blame the deep state for interfering in domestic and foreign affairs. One of the leading voices in this narrative is Elon Musk, a prominent figure in Trump’s administration and one of the world’s richest individuals.
Trump has also imposed a 90-day freeze on funding and activities of the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, aiming to reassess whether American foreign aid aligns with "national interests". This executive order comes as Bangladesh is now governed by an interim administration led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, following the resignation of former prime minister Hasina in the face of student-led protests.
As calls grow among right-wing voices in the US to shut down USAID, Bangladesh has become a key talking point. According to these narratives, USAID allegedly funded a “regime change” in Bangladesh through the International Republican Institute (IRI). There have also been claims that USAID financed "transgender activists and rappers" as part of an effort to undermine democratic governments.
Adding to the controversy, on Jan 30, Alex Soros -- son of billionaire philanthropist George Soros and chairman of the Open Society Foundations -- was drawn into the debate over Bangladesh’s political turmoil, following a meeting with Yunus.
The issue has also surfaced in India. A month earlier, a bribery case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani was filed in a New York court, prompting India’s ruling BJP party to accuse the US State Department of trying to destabilise the country.
The BJP claimed that George Soros, the US deep state, major media organisations, the State Department, investigative journalists, and Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi were all working together to undermine Prime Minister Modi’s government.
