Why is this island in the Bay of Bengal at the centre of accusations of Hasina’s overthrow against the US? | World News

When the protest escalated and demonstrators entered the residence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, she had no choice but to flee Bangladesh. Hasina has sought refuge in India. Recently, the media has recovered her undelivered speech, the last one she intended to deliver to the protesting students but never delivered.

In one part of her speech, which she did not deliver, Sheikh Hasina claimed that her government could have remained in power if it had handed over the island of St. Martin to the United States. The timing of Hasina’s remarks raises questions about why she chose to mention the sovereignty of this strategically important island located in the Bay of Bengal amid the ongoing protests against her leadership.

Why is Saint Martin in the spotlight?

The controversial island is a small coral island located in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, about nine kilometres south of Bangladesh’s southernmost peninsula, Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf, near Myanmar.

• St. Martin’s island has recently been in the spotlight amid allegations that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), under former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, had plans to sell the island to the United States for the construction of a military base.

• The alleged deal was reportedly aimed at ensuring US support for the BNP to win the upcoming elections.

• The island, commonly called “Narikel Jinjira” or “Coconut Island” in Bengali, gets its name from its abundant coconut trees. It is also known as “Daruchini Dwip” which translates to “Cinnamon Island”.

• This is the only coral island in Bangladesh.

• The island covers three square kilometers and is home to approximately 3,700 residents.

• The inhabitants are mainly engaged in fishing, rice cultivation, coconut farming and the collection of seaweed, which is dried and exported to Myanmar.

Geopolitical importance of Saint Martin

The island is close to the Bay of Bengal and shares a maritime border with Myanmar; this strategic location has intensified its demand, especially among the United States and China, who are seeking to strengthen their presence in the region.

Last June, Sheikh Hasina accused the United States of trying to obtain the island of Saint Martin and establish a military base there in exchange for an electoral victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

She further claimed that the BNP would sell the island to the US if elected. Hasina claimed that her government would remain in power even if St Martin was leased out, but stressed that she would never allow such a move while in office.

“I have no intention of coming to power by selling off the country’s assets,” Sheikh Hasina said last year in a Prothom Alo English report.

He added: “The BNP came to power in 2001 promising to sell gas. Now they want to sell the country. They want to come to power promising to sell the island of St. Martin.”

History of Saint Martin Island

The history of the island dates back to the 18th century, when it was colonised by Arab traders who called it “Jazira”. In 1900, a British surveying team incorporated St Martin’s Island into British India and named it after a Christian priest, St Martin. However, some reports suggest that the island might have been named after St Martin, the Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong at the time.

In 1937, the coral island came under the control of British India following the separation of Myanmar. It remained under Indian administration until the partition in 1947, after which it became part of Pakistan.

Following the Liberation War in 1971, the island was incorporated into Bangladesh, according to the Daily Star. In 1974, Bangladesh and Myanmar formally agreed that the island would belong to Bangladesh.