Sheikh Hasina reacts to Bangladesh ouster: My father, other martyrs insulted
Says Aug 15 should be observed as the National Mourning Day
"I appeal to you to observe the National Mourning Day on 15th August with due dignity and solemnity.
Pray for the salvation of all souls by offering floral garlands and praying at Bangabandhu Bhavan," she said.
Notably, Sheikh Hasina's father Mujib was assassinated in an unprecedented military coup on Aug 15, 1975.
"The Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose leadership we have gained self-esteem as an independent nation, got self-identity and got an independent country, has been grossly insulted," Hasina said in the statement issued through her son Sajeeb Wazed.
"They insulted the blood of millions of martyrs. I want justice from the countrymen," Hasina added, hitting out at the forces behind her ouster as the Bangladesh Prime Minister.
White House dismisses any US role in Bangladesh PM Hasina's ouster
"We have had no involvement at all. Any reports or rumors that the United States government was involved in these events are simply false," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing when asked about reported claims of U.S. involvement.
"This is a choice for and by the Bangladeshi people. We believe that the Bangladeshi people should determine the future of the Bangladeshi government, and that's where we stand." the White House added.
A report in a section of media cited/implied Hasina had/has accused the United States of blessing or even planning a mover for ouster of Sheikh Hasina as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Ms Hasina daughter of much respected India-friendly founding father of Bangladesh - Sheikh Mujibar Rahman - was also friendly to India both under Congress and BJP and especially to PM Narendra Modi.
The Americans allegedly wanted 'control' over Bangladesh's Saint Martin island in the Bay of Bengal.
Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed posted on X social media on Sunday that for her part former Bangladesh PM never made any such statement.
Bangladesh was engulfed by demonstrations and violence after student protests last month against quotas that reserved a high portion of government jobs for certain groups escalated into a campaign to oust Hasina.
Sheikh Hasina won a fourth straight term in January in an election the opposition boycotted and the U.S. State Department said was not free and fair.
"Bangladesh is on the brink of a new beginning"
Sheikh Hasina's stay in India won't hurt bilateral ties: Bangladesh official
Bangladesh's interim government adviser stated that Sheikh Hasina's extended stay in India will not affect bilateral relations. Adviser Md Touhid Hossain emphasised the importance of maintaining good relations with New Delhi.
A top adviser of Bangladesh's interim government on Monday said that deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's extended stay in India will not hurt bilateral relations and Dhaka will always try to maintain good relations with New Delhi.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain made the remarks when asked whether bilateral ties with India would be affected if Hasina's stay in India gets prolonged.
"This is a hypothetical question. If someone stays in a country why the relations with that particular country would be affected? There is no reason for that," he said, emphasising that bilateral relations are a big matter.
Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India last week following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.
Hossain said bilateral relations are a relation of interest and friendship is also of interest. "Friendship does not exist if the interest is hurt."
He said the two sides - Bangladesh and India - have interests and they will follow those interests. Hossain said the relationship between the two countries "is not influenced by the presence of one individual in a country" while "India has its interests, and Bangladesh has its interests".
Hossain said they will "always try to maintain good relations" with India.
Earlier, he briefed the diplomats stationed in Dhaka, including Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma, on the situation in Bangladesh and sought their support.
"We believe that all our friends and partners in the international community would continue to stand by the interim government and our people as we embark on charting a new future for Bangladesh,” Hossain told the diplomats.
Hossain, a career diplomat and former foreign secretary, reaffirmed that Bangladesh was committed to upholding all agreements made with other countries.
The adviser accused the Awami League regime of committing gross human rights violations in their attempts to suppress a popular movement eventually resulting in its ouster.
"However, the sheer power of people ultimately led to the fall of all authoritarian regimes," Hossain said, adding that Bangladesh had experienced a "second liberation" last week driven by a mass uprising led by “our courageous students”.
The adviser said the interim government was committed to meeting the renewed expectations of the people and expressed confidence that the international community would continue to support the interim government and the people of Bangladesh as they work towards a new future.
"Bangladesh is on the brink of a new beginning," he said.
The adviser informed the diplomats that the government has taken quick and decisive measures to restore law and order and bring back normalcy across the country.
Representatives from all diplomatic missions in Dhaka, including UN agencies, attended the briefing while they inquired about security measures, the Rohingya issue, and the current situation.
"We can assure that the safety and security of the diplomatic and consular premises and persons will remain one of our core priorities," Hossain said, adding the interim government remained sensitized to the need to ensure the protection of all foreign citizens.
Hossain said that the government would remain focused on a smooth transition to “inclusive and pluralistic electoral democracy as soon as possible”.
During his first press briefing at the foreign ministry on Sunday, Hossain was asked about the possibility of bringing home Hasina. He replied that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the law ministry while his office would respond only if that ministry makes any such request.
"Our policy is to maintain good relations with all countries while protecting our national interests," said Hossain, whose position is equivalent to a minister.
"We intend to maintain smooth and positive relations with all ... including India and China," said Hossain, who previously served as a deputy high commissioner to India.
When asked about the interim government's approach towards India, Hossain said both countries share a strong and deep bond.
"(But) it is important that people feel India is a good friend of Bangladesh...We want that, we want to advance the (Dhaka-Delhi) relation towards that direction,” said Hossain, a career diplomat and former foreign secretary.
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How many military bases does the US have across the world?
An October 2023 article, published by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs' Blue Marble publication, reported that the US maintains troops on every continent.
The report said that as of September 2022, there are 171,736 active-duty US military troops stationed across 178 countries.
Most of these overseas US military personnel were deployed in just three countries, with 53,973 in Japan, 35,781 in Germany, and 25,372 in South Korea.
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In fact, these three countries also housed the most US military bases, with 120 in Japan, 119 in Germany, and 73 in South Korea.
Overall, the report said that there were about 750 US military bases across at least 80 countries. However, according to one Al Jazeera report, the number of US overseas military bases could be higher because not all the related data is published by the Pentagon.
Many of the US' overseas military bases were built after World War II, with Washington taking the position of peacekeeper in and around Japan and Germany. This explains why these two countries have the most US military bases. Subsequently, the Korean War and Cold War gave the US further reason for global military expansion in a bid to contain communism.
In the following decades, the US also expanded its military presence to the Middle East and the surrounding area. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Kuwait each have at least 10 US bases.
The US' global military presence is underwritten by the US taxpayer and Washington's mammoth defence budget. In 2022, the US spent $877 billion on its military -- the most of any country, and more than China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, France, South Korea, and Japan combined.
ALSO READ: Fighter jets to submarines: Budget 2024 aims at major defence acquisitions
During 2023, as tensions ramped up in the Middle East and the South China Sea, the US further bolstered its military presence in these regions.
Since Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, the US has deployed additional forces to the Middle East.
Before the start of the war in Gaza, as of June 2023, there were more than 30,000 American troops stationed in the Middle East alone.
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Meanwhile, amid growing tensions in the South China Sea and increasing threats of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the US and the Philippines struck a deal in February 2023, allowing US forces access to four more military camps in the Philippines. After the deal, the US now has access to a total of nine military camps in the country.
Before its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US also had a significant military presence and bases in that country. During the War on Terror, the US also had clandestime military bases in Pakistan.
However, at present, the US military base of most interest to India is the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, which is located in the Indian Ocean.
An island of the British Indian Ocean Territory and a disputed overseas territory of the UK that is also claimed by Mauritius, Diego Garcia is an atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean.
The US base there is the sole reason that the UK continues to cling onto the 58 small Indian Ocean isles that make up the Chagos Archipelago, of which, Diego Garcia is the largest. The nation closest to the Chagos is the Maldives.
For decades now, the UK has made Diego Garcia available to the US military on very favourable terms. The Pentagon has to pay no rent for it and there are few restrictions or oversight.
Diego Garcia allows the US to project hard military power from the Persian Gulf to the South China Sea. Alongside Guam, Diego Garcia is considered the anchor of US military strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.
Along with the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, Diego Garcia is one of the two crucial US bomber bases in the Indo-Pacific region.
Recently, however, the UK began negotiations for returning the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritian control.
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