Awami League letter to Trump appointing Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister of Bangladesh raises eyebrows

Latest update:06 Nov 2024, 20:07 IST

Hasina was ousted in August after intense student protests in which Trump condemned crimes against Hindus and other minorities.

Sheikh Hasina said Trump’s resounding election victory is a testament to his outstanding leadership qualities. (Reuters)

Deposed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina congratulates Donald Trump about his stunning victory in the US presidential election on Wednesday, where he defeated Vice President Kamala Harris to mark a historic return to the White House as the 47th president of the United States.

Interestingly, Hasina’s congratulatory message posted on Awami League’s verified Facebook page referred to her as the “Prime Minister” months after a student protest escalated into a full-scale agitation against her government and forced her to resign and flee to India.”

The statement, signed by Awami League office secretary Biplab Baruah, said: “Bangladesh Awami League President (Prime Minister) Sheikh Hasina congratulated Donald J. Trump on his election as the 47th President of the United States of America.”

“A resounding victory is evidence of exceptional leadership”

“She said his resounding election victory is a testament to his exceptional leadership and the enormous confidence the American people have placed in him. Sheikh Hasina fondly recalled her several meetings and interactions as Prime Minister with Donald Trump and Melania Trump during his first presidency,” the Awami League statement further said.

She expressed hope that bilateral relations between Bangladesh and America would be strengthened under a second Trump administration and shared her “commitment to working together again to advance the bilateral and multilateral interests of both countries.”

This comes after the interim government of Bangladesh, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, also congratulated Donald Trump on his election triumph and expressed optimism about strengthening bilateral ties and future cooperation.

“We welcome this (his victory). We hope that the Bangladesh-US relationship will be deepened and the relationship will reach new heights,” his spokesman Shafiqul Alam told reporters at a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy on Wednesday evening.

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What does Trump’s victory mean for Bangladesh?

Trump’s recent tweet condemning alleged violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh has sparked strong reactions and widespread debate about the impact of Donald Trump’s second presidency on Bangladesh following the chaos and violence that engulfed the country in mid-July.

“I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians and other minorities who are being attacked and robbed by mobs in Bangladesh, which continues to be in complete chaos. In my time this would never have happened. Kamala and Joe have ignored Hindus around the world and in America,” he said on X.

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In an article in The Eurasian Times, author Salah Uddin Shoaib Chowdhury said Trump’s remarks about alleged violence in Bangladesh added an unexpected international dimension to an already tense election season.

Referring to Yunus’ visit to the US, where he and protest leaders received support from former US President Bill Clinton, Choudhary opined that regime change in Bangladesh was engineered by the Clintons, Obama and Soros without any interaction with Trump or other Republicans. .

“If Trump wins on November 5, he will likely be able to take tough action against Bangladesh, potentially including broad restrictions on the country or sanctions targeting specific individuals. Conversely, if Kamala Harris wins, her administration may not continue Biden’s Bangladesh policy,” he wrote.

Location :

Dhaka, Bangladesh