Thu Jul 24 03:00:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**The Hindu: New Book Claims US Interference Behind Bangladesh’s Latest Political Upheaval**
**DHAKA -** A new book is stirring debate in Bangladesh, alleging that the United States played a key role in the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Veteran journalist Manash Ghosh, in his new book “Blunders: The Power and the Plot Behind his Killing”, draws parallels between Hasina’s removal and the assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in 1975.
According to Ghosh, US diplomats, specifically US envoy Peter Haas and Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu, orchestrated the coup because Hasina refused to lease St. Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal to the US for a naval base aimed at monitoring Chinese and Indian naval activity.
The book also delves into the reasons behind the 1971 Liberation War, highlighting the perceived arrogance of West Pakistan’s leadership and their distrust of the Bengali population. Former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, in the book’s foreword, critiques Mujib’s leniency towards those who collaborated with Pakistan, arguing that it allowed pro-Pakistan elements to undermine his policies.
Ghosh also gives credit to Tajuddin Ahmed for his pivotal role as Prime Minister in exile and successfully printing Bangladesh currency to maintain financial stability.
Ghosh concludes that Bangladesh is facing a period of instability and political change, while Hasina’s Awami League could come back into power soon.
The claims made in “Blunders” are likely to spark further discussion and scrutiny regarding foreign influence in Bangladeshi politics and the complex legacy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
First Piper 