It is no secret that the United States has interfered in the internal affairs of scores of nations since World War II (1) in order to put their puppets on the throne. They helped create the Mujahideen in Afghanistan (2) and they were instrumental in the destruction of Libya (3) for instance. Philip Agee as a former CIA-agent told us all about their ways(4). We have seen the hands of the US in the relentless expansion of NATO ultimately leading to the war in Ukraine (5).

THE COUP IN BANGLADESH AUGUST 2024
On August 5, 2024 the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina and her sister feld to India (7,10) after student demonstrations grew into bigger demonstrations. The Prime Minister has been in power for 15 years. How could this coup take place? What could have been the role of the United States?

I read a review article by Karl Sanchez that contains three recent articles on the situation in Bangladesh, Thailand and Myanmar (8). I picked out the elements related to the involvement of the US, although the articles contain a lot of other fascinating information about the history and the dynamics in that region.

THE UNITED STATES AND BANGLADESH
The Sheikh Hasina is part of a political party (AL) that can be considered a more secular party. The ones that are now taking over will probably be the BNP (Bengali National Party) that strives for an Islamic Bangladesh. They didn’t fight against Pakistan during the revolt against that country by Bangladesh. The US would not have supported the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.

The contacts between Bangladesh and India were flourishing, and Bangladesh was also eager to participate in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. There would have been an attempt for ‘a color revolution’ in Thailand, but that failed, making Thailand move closer to China. They even applied for BRICS membership.

You can imagine that the US don’t like countries in South East Asia to align with BRICS nations like India and China.

Kanwal Sibal, a  retired Indian foreign secretary and former Ambassador to Russia between 2004 and 2007, summed up a few of the ways that the United States have played a role in the regime change:

“The West, especially the US, cynically sought to put political pressure on Sheikh Hasina on the democracy front, in full knowledge that the alternatives were even less democratic, with more Islamist influence to boot. The US played a role in de-legitimizing Sheikh Hasina’s rule with many of the steps it took, which no doubt indirectly encouraged her overthrow. This is not to say that there was no democracy deficit in Sheikh Hasina’s functioning, but that does not justify external interference, especially if it is selective.   

Bangladesh was not invited to the Summit for Democracy in Washington, DC in 2021 to which, ironically, Pakistan was invited. The same year, the US sanctioned Bangladesh’s elite para-military force, the Rapid Action Battalion, for human rights violations. In 2016, the US opposed the trial by the AL government of local pro-Pakistan militias who had collaborated with the Pakistan military in murders and rapes during the liberation struggle.”  (11)

USAID FUNDING FOR THE COUP
In February 2025 it became clear that indeed the United States – through their notorious USAID – had funded the overthrow of Hasina. Some $21 million would have been allocated for this goal (13).

SOME REFLECTIONS
I’m no specialist on South East Asia, but it seems clear that the US had much to gain by removing the leader of Bangladesh because of its strong ties with both India and China. They probably didn’t like the idea that Bangladesh would join BRICS some day in the future, like Thailand and Malaysia want.

Sibal sums up a few examples of their dislike for Hasina. Although the interference cannot be compared with the way the CIA for example manufactured the coup in Iran in 1953, there does seem to be some indirect influence that sped up the events in Bangladesh.

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FOOTNOTES
(1) China describes the Destructive role the US has played in the World
(2) How the US Created the Islamist Fighting Army Mujahideen to fight in Afghanistan
(3) How NATO used a UN No-Fly Resolution to Destroy Libya
(4) Philip Agee and the Ugly ways of the CIA
(5) NATO’S Expansion to the East and the War in Ukraine
(6) বঙ্গবন্ধুর ভাস্কর্য ভা-ঙছেন হাজার হাজার মানুষ | Bangbundhu Statue Broken | Songbad Prokash
(7) Bangladesh’s prime minister flees country and resigns after deadly protest
(8) The Partition of South Asia Strikes Again – Pepe Escobar, the great geopolitical analyst, directed the followers of his telegram channel to this excellent article.
(9) Hardtalk – BBC
(10) Bangabandhu museum on Dhanmondi 32: Torching an integral part of country’s history
(11) A serious crisis is brewing on India’s doorstep, and the West has a role in it
(12) How The CIA Overthrew Iran’s Democracy In 4 Days
(13) USAID’s role uncovered in ‘regime change’ in South Asian nation

Image is a snapshot from (6) – It shows an attempt to tear down a statue of the ‘Father of the Nation’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was the first leader when Bangladesh gained independence in 1971.