Bangladesh, known as the land of rivers, faces a fluid political situation with Sheikh Hasina, who resigned as prime minister on August 5 amid mounting protests.

Washington: The US has denied allegations of government involvement in the Bangladesh crisis, which has left hundreds dead. Dismissing all reports and rumours, White House Press Secretary Carine Jean-Pierre told ANI news agency during a media briefing on Monday (local time), “So, we had no involvement. Any reports or rumors that the United States government is involved in these events are, frankly, false. That is not true.”

Moreover, Pierre said that the Bangladeshi people should decide the future of the Bangladeshi government. “This is the choice of the Bangladeshi people. We believe that the Bangladeshi people should decide the future of the Bangladeshi government and that is where we stand. Any allegations, of course we'll continue to say and everything I've said here is simply false,” added White House Press Secretary Karin Jean-Pierre.

In a recent interview to news agency ANI, Michael Kugelman, a US-based foreign policy expert and director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, dismissed allegations of foreign interference behind the mass uprising that led to Sheikh Hasina's ouster. He said he had seen no “reasonable evidence” to support these claims.

Bangladesh, known as the land of rivers, faces a fluid political situation with Sheikh Hasina, who resigned as prime minister on August 5 amid mounting protests.

He observed that the agitation has increased significantly due to the strict action taken by the Hasina government against the protesters. “My approach is very simple. I see it as a crisis that is purely due to internal factors, students who are unhappy about a particular issue, job quotas they don't like and they are worried about the government. Sheikh Hasina's government cracked down on the students and the movement grew in stature. And it was motivated only by internal factors,” Kugelman said, ANI reported.

Kugelman refuted allegations by Sheikh Hasina's son Sajid Wazed Joy, who claimed foreign interference behind the protests, saying the unrest was driven by “internal factors”. “Now, you know, when there's a conspiracy theory rooted in foreign influence issues, nobody can refute those kinds of allegations. Also, at the same time, one cannot prove conclusively. I think the responsibility is to provide a plausible explanation of how that could be true. I am yet to hear it from Sheikh Hasina's son, from anyone,” he said.

White House Statement on Attacks on Hindus

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karin Jean-Pierre, while addressing protests outside the White House over the recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, said the US would monitor the situation closely.

“We're certainly going to monitor the situation,” White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said. I have nothing more to say or add.”