Trump Administration Shifts US Position on Bangladesh as Hasina's Son Claims Biden Funded Regime Change

Protests that eventually led to Sheikh Hasina's ousting began in early July 2024, primarily organized by "student" groups.

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Following a Bangladesh court's death sentence verdict against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed has accused the previous US government of investing "millions of dollars on regime change" in Bangladesh. However, he noted that under President Donald Trump, "the US attitude has definitely changed."

Wazed, currently residing in the US while his mother remains in exile in India, told ANI that American policy has shifted "very distinctly" compared to during last year's political upheaval. He stated, "President Trump himself announced at a press conference earlier this year that the previous administration, through USAID, spent millions of dollars on regime change in Bangladesh."

When questioned about potential threats from the US government to the Hasina administration, he responded, "No, we've not received any threats whatsoever. The only slight issue was that the US was the only country that issued a negative statement on our 2024 elections, which our opposition boycotted. Other than that, the elections were regarded as peaceful by everyone. So there was no direct pressure... Now, there is a completely new government in the US. The situation is completely different..."

Wazed further emphasized that the US approach has "definitely changed," with President Trump showing greater concern about "the threat of terrorism and the rise of Islamism in Bangladesh than the previous administration."

"We have seen a very distinct change in outlook. President Trump himself announced at a press conference earlier this year that the previous administration, through USAID, spent millions of dollars on regime change in Bangladesh. He was referring to the protests last year. The US attitude has definitely changed, and they're more concerned about the threat of terrorism and the rise of Islamism in Bangladesh than the previous administration was..." he added.

The demonstrations that ultimately forced out Bangladesh's longest-serving Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, commenced in early July 2024 under the leadership of "student" groups. As protests intensified, large crowds of student demonstrators invaded Hasina's official residence in Dhaka, amid reports of extensive looting and violent confrontations. These events occurred after weeks of anti-government unrest, which eventually compelled Hasina to resign and flee the country, seeking refuge in India.

Nonetheless, Wazed expressed profound gratitude for New Delhi's role during the political crisis. He acknowledged India's critical contribution to ensuring Sheikh Hasina's safety when violence escalated in Dhaka last year.

He told ANI, "India has always been a good friend. In the crisis, India has essentially saved my mother's life. If she hadn't left Bangladesh, the militants had planned on killing her. So, I am eternally grateful to Prime Minister Modi's government for saving my mother's life..."

Wazed also addressed questions regarding Hasina's extradition to Bangladesh, requested by the Yunus administration, and described the "unelected, unconstitutional and illegal" Dhaka government as failing to follow proper judicial procedures in sentencing her to death.

He explained, "For an extradition to happen, the judicial process has to be followed. In Bangladesh, there is a government that's unelected, unconstitutional and illegal. In order to convict my mother, they amended laws to fast-track her trial... So these laws were amended illegally. My mother was not allowed to hire her defence attorneys. Her attorneys weren't even allowed into the courts..."

He further stated that the trial was compromised by political interference. "17 judges were terminated at the court before the trial, new judges appointed, some of whom had absolutely no experience on the bench and were politically connected. So, there was no due process whatsoever... For extradition to happen, there has to be due process..." he said.

On November 17, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal convicted the 78-year-old former prime minister of "crimes against humanity" connected to the July-August 2024 uprising. The tribunal found Hasina and two senior officials guilty of ordering or enabling atrocities during the protests.

Local media reported that the tribunal delivered the verdict in absentia, as Hasina has been living in India since her government collapsed.