CIA was behind the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh !

• Former Home Minister’s claim in upcoming book on Bangladesh coup

• Army chief General Wakar betrayed Hasina!

(‘CIA’ stands for the Central Intelligence Agency — the US intelligence organisation)

Dhaka (Bangladesh) – Following former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s accusation that the United States and Pakistan were behind the coup in Bangladesh, a forthcoming book titled “Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an Unfinished Revolution” by Deep Halder, Jaydeep Majumdar, and Shahidul Hasan Khokon, to be published by Juggernaut, makes further explosive revelations. The book, yet to be released, claims that according to Asaduzzaman Khan, who served as Home Minister in Hasina’s government, the US intelligence agency CIA had long been planning Hasina’s ouster. “We had no idea that General Wakar-uz-Zaman, the Army Chief and a relative of Hasina, was under CIA influence. He was the one who stabbed her in the back.” Khan is quoted as saying.

Key claims made in the book:

1. Intelligence failure and internal conspiracy

Asaduzzaman Khan stated that Bangladesh’s principal military intelligence agency and the National Security Intelligence Department failed to alert Prime Minister Hasina that General Wakar was preparing to betray her. He suspects that some senior officials may also have been involved in the plot.

2. America’s strategy of weakening South Asia

According to Khan, the CIA prefers weak governments in South Asia to easily serve American interests. The coup in Bangladesh benefits the US in two ways: first, it ensures there are no strong regional leaders like Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping, or Sheikh Hasina who could resist US influence; and second, it strengthens America’s strategic position in the Bay of Bengal. He claimed that one immediate reason behind the coup was the US interest in St Martin’s Island.

3. A ‘Mahabharata’ parallel

Khan compared the coup to the Mahabharata, saying, “Just as Abhimanyu was trapped and slain by his own kin, Hasina too was brought down by her own — General Wakar joined hands with Bangladesh’s radical Islamist forces to remove her from power.” The book adds that Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh has long been instrumental in uniting extremist groups.

4. Potential repercussions of the revelations

Author Deep Halder warned that these disclosures could further unsettle Bangladesh. General Wakar had been appointed by Hasina herself shortly before stepping down. Halder pointed out that over the past two years, leaders of the National Citizens Party repeatedly accused Wakar of being an “Indian agent”. “But after these revelations, the real question now is — whose side was he truly on?” he remarked.

5. Pakistan’s ISI connection

The book also asserts that Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was working with Jamaat. Several ISI-trained individuals infiltrated the group and were involved in the police killings that took place in late June.

Why does the US want St Martin’s Island?

Before being ousted, Sheikh Hasina herself told a press conference that she could have remained in power had she agreed to hand over St Martin’s Island to the United States. Geographically, the island holds immense strategic importance — it can be accessed easily by sea from any part of the world. It is not only a commercial maritime hub but also a militarily sensitive location. Situated in the northeastern Bay of Bengal near the Bangladesh–Myanmar border, the 7.3-kilometre-long island lies only 3.6 metres above sea level.

Historically, it was once part of the Teknaf peninsula but sank beneath the sea about 5,000 years ago, gradually re-emerging over the past few centuries. During a land survey in 1900, British India claimed the territory and named it ‘St Martin’s Island’ after the then Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong, Mr Martin.

From the island, one can monitor movements across the Bay of Bengal and adjacent maritime zones, making it crucial for Bangladesh. Its position also plays a decisive role in South Asia’s geopolitical balance. Both China and the US seek influence over the region for trade and strategic reasons, while India too views the island as strategically vital. For the United States, control over St Martin’s Island would offer a surveillance vantage point over the entire area, particularly over China and India.

Editorial Perspective

The claim that the CIA engineered Bangladesh’s coup underscores America’s deep strategic manoeuvring in South Asia — a region where it seeks dominance by weakening strong nationalist governments.