Sheikh Hasina blames US for her ouster over St Martin Island dispute

New Delhi: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in an interview with the Economic Times claimed that her refusal to hand over St. Martin Island to the United States was the reason for her ouster. 

She alleged that the US was behind the regime change in Dhaka and that she could have remained in power if she had ceded the island's sovereignty. 

This claim has sparked a debate among commentators, with some supporting her allegations and others questioning the validity of her claims, pointing to other factors such as her handling of student protests and the manipulation of elections as contributing to her removal.

Hasina conceded that her comments on students were distorted.

Following the ouster of Hasina, who resigned and fled to India on Monday following the political turmoil in Bangladesh, 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on Thursday as the head of an interim government.

His government is expected to announce fresh elections after bringing the law-and-order situation under control following the deadly anti-government demonstrations against the Hasina government that had led to massive violence, which is now abating.