Foreign nation wants airbase in Bangladesh, to carve out Christian state: Hasina

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made serious allegations about a plot to establish a "Christian state like East Timor" using parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar, and an offer by a "white-skinned man" to help her return to power if she allowed a foreign nation to build an airbase there.

India shares its borders with Bangladesh and the neighbouring country is of strategic importance to it.

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Speaking at a meeting with her 14-party alliance at the Gono Bhaban (Prime Minister's residence) in Dhaka, Hasina also revealed that she and her party, the Awami League, were offered a smooth re-election to the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) polls, by a "white skinned foreigner' if she allowed a foreign country to build an airbase in Bangladesh, reported the Dhaka-based newspaper The Daily Star.

"Like East Timor ... they will carve out a Christian country taking parts of Bangladesh [Chattogram] and Myanmar with a base in the Bay of Bengal," Hasina said on Thursday.

Although she did not specify which country made the offer, she mentioned it came from "a white man" and implied it was part of a broader strategy affecting other regional forces as well.

"It may appear that it is aimed at only one country, but it is not. I know where else they intend to go," added Hasina, who won a landslide victory with 224 seats in the 300-member house.

Any development in Bangladesh is closely watched in India due to its strategic importance. India also has historical ties with its neighbour, which it helped gain independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Hasina also asserted that she would not anyone harm the trade and commerce in the Bay and the Indian Ocean, which has been thriving since ancient times.

"Many have their eyes on this place. There is no controversy here, no conflict. I won't let that happen. This is also one of my crimes [in their eyes]," she said.

"If I allowed a certain country to build an airbase in Bangladesh, then I would have had no problem," added Hasina on Thursday.

Hasina's statements come after the election last winter, which was closely watched by several regional and global stakeholders, like the US, Russia, China and India.

She became the Bangladeshi PM for the fourth consecutive time, after winning the election that was marred by sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition party, the Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and its allies.

The January election in Bangladesh was not just a domestic affair, given its geostrategic location in the northeastern Indian Ocean.

Many in Dhaka believed that the US used the issue of 'free and fair elections' to pressure the Sheikh Hasina government.

"The US has taken an outsized interest in Bangladesh for some time. Bangladesh is not really part of the US' interests-based worldview, but certainly the Awami League under Sheikh Hasina has come in for particular criticism from Washington, particularly during the elections," Indrani Bagchi, CEO Ananta Aspen Centre and foreign policy analyst, had earlier told IndiaToday.In.

The Biden administration, on multiple occasions, pushed to 'ensure democracy' in the South Asian nation while elections were underway.

Hasina had alleged that the US was seeking a 'regime change' in Bangladesh.

The strategic location of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal makes it a critical point of interest for global powers like the US, China, and India. Political analysts believe that the US's interest in ensuring "free and fair elections" is part of its broader strategy to counter Chinese and Russian influence in the region.

Bangladesh's recent closeness to China is another critical and worrying factor for India.

India and China, despite their own rivalries, were reportedly on the same page regarding their support for Hasina and the Awami League in the recent election.

Published By: Sushim Mukul Published On: May 27, 2024