The 2024 riots in Bangladesh that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were supported by USAID and members of Hillary Clinton’s family, according to former cabinet minister and chief negotiator Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury.
Chowdhury, who served in Hasina’s cabinet and played a central role in negotiations during the political crisis, told RT in an interview: “Certain actions by some NGOs, especially those linked to the United States – such as USAID and the International Republican Institute – have been targeting our government for some time since 2018.
Accused of human rights abuses, Hasina won a fourth consecutive term in 2024. She now faces charges of crimes against humanity over the suppression of the 2024 student protests that killed nearly 1,400 people and injured thousands more, according to a UN report.
How did Dhaka maintain ties with Washington DC during Hasina’s rule?
Strained relations between Sheikh Hasina and the US date back to her first term in office. The assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the subsequent suspicion of international involvement significantly influenced her foreign policy stance.
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The US has criticized democratic processes under her leadership, particularly her refusal to hold elections under a caretaker government – an opposition demand rejected by parliament in 2011.
In June, the World Bank Board approved two $900 million projects to help Bangladesh strengthen fiscal and financial sector policies and improve urban infrastructure for sustainable and climate-resilient growth.
The US wants the island of St. Martin
Due to its location, the island of Saint Martin is of significant strategic importance and has attracted the interest of major world powers including the United States, China and India.
A potential military base on the island would give any country a vantage point over the Bay of Bengal.
The island’s proximity to the Straits of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade corridors, further increases its geopolitical value. It also offers global powers, particularly the US, greater access and surveillance capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Reports indicate that Washington has long expressed interest in establishing a military presence on the island. After her ouster, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina claimed that “the white man offered her a smooth election” in January 2024 if she allowed a foreign nation to set up an air base on Bangladeshi soil.
However, the US State Department denied any intention to acquire the island following her remarks.
Bangladeshi violence
Nearly 300 people have died in political violence in Bangladesh in the past year since student protests toppled former autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina, the country’s leading rights group said on Sunday.
According to a report by Odhikar, a human rights organization based in Dhaka, at least 281 people were killed in clashes with political parties between August 2024, when Hasina’s government collapsed and she fled to India, and September 2025.
The report released last week also documented 40 alleged extrajudicial executions of criminal suspects and 153 cases of lynching during the same period.
Bangladesh is due to hold national elections in February 2026, the first since a student-led uprising last year toppled Hasina’s government, ending her 15-year rule and forcing her into exile in India.
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In May, the new administration banned Hasina’s Liga Awami party and detained several of its senior leaders. Many others, including former government ministers, fled to neighboring India and other countries.
Hasina and her immediate family members, including her son Sajeeb Wazed and her daughter, now face multiple charges ranging from crimes against humanity to corruption.
(With input from agencies)
