Hasina calls for probe into violent protests in Bangladesh

In her first statement since resigning and leaving Bangladesh on Aug 5, Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina called for an investigation into the violence during weeks of student-led protests in the country.

"I demand that those involved in these killings and vandalism be properly investigated and the culprits be identified and punished accordingly," she said in a statement, which was posted on social media platform X by her son Sajeeb Wazed.

It came hours after a court in Dhaka ordered police to launch a murder investigation into Hasina and six top figures from her administration over the death of a grocery shop owner on July 19 during protests that took hundreds of lives in Bangladesh.

It is estimated that more than 300 people died and about 10,000 were arrested during the demonstrations. Initially, students protested against quotas in government jobs, but that soon transformed into an unprecedented challenge against Hasina and her ruling party.

Earlier, India's The Economic Times reported that Hasina blamed the United States for her ousting, as she did not want Washington to control Bangladesh's Saint Martin's Island.

It said Hasina had delivered the message to those close to her. However, Wazed posted on X denying she had ever made such a statement.

Saint Martin's, a small island in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, is known for its strategic importance and geopolitical influence in the region. Hasina in the interview with The Economic Times alleged that she could have remained in power had she surrendered the sovereignty over Saint Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal to the United States.

When asked about reported claims of the US role in Bangladesh's change of government, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told a news briefing on Monday: "We have had no involvement at all."

Wazed, who is based in the US, said Hasina had not "resigned" as prime minister before leaving Bangladesh.

"My mother never officially resigned. She didn't get the time," he told Reuters.

Wazed also said his mother "absolutely" did not order anyone to commit violence against the protesters. "The police were trying to stop the violence, but some police officers used excessive force," he said.

Following Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus' swearing-in as head of the interim government last week, the government has made efforts to restore order.

Primary schools across Bangladesh reopened on Wednesday after one month of closure, the United News of Bangladesh reported.

Traffic police resumed duties on major roads and highways in Dhaka on Monday, after a weeklong strike since the fall of Hasina's administration.