What has St. Martin's Island, a small island in Bay of Bengal to do with the political crisis in Bangladesh?
It is spread across an area of only 3 square kilometers and is home to some 3,700 inhabitants whose primary livelihood is fishing. But St. Martin's Island, the small, seemingly insignificant island in the Bay of Bengal, has been thrust into the spotlight following the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina's alleged claim
It all began with speculations about the content of the ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's undelivered speech before she was forced to step down and flee the country.
Hasina reportedly hinted that she had to resign due to the lack of international support and that the US would have sided with her on one condition.
According to Hasina, if she had handed over St. Martin's Island to the US, she could have remained in power, a claim that has been denied by Washington.
US denies allegations
The White House on Monday strongly refuted allegations that the United States interfered in the internal affairs of Bangladesh.
¡°We have had no involvement at all. Any reports or rumours that the United States government was involved in these events are simply false. That is not true,¡± White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said while responding to media reports claiming that Hasina could have stayed in power if she had surrendered the sovereignty of St. Martin's Island to the US.
How St. Martin's Island became political
This is not the first time alleged US interest in St. Martin's Island has rocked Bangladesh politics. Earlier this year, it was alleged that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, had planned to sell it to the United States for the construction of a military base in exchange for electoral support.
Also read:?Who is Muhammad Yunus and why protesters want him to be the interim Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Why US may want?St Martin's Island
Strategically located in the Bay of Bengal, close to mainland Bangladesh and Myanmar, US interest in St. Martin's Island stems from its proximity to China.?
Any move by the US, including establishing a military base on St. Martin's Island, would give Washington an advantage in its geopolitical tussle with China, something Beijing would want to avoid at any cost.
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