During a joint news meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, D.C., US President Donald Trump addressed the Bangladesh issue, rejecting any role of the US “deep state” in the regime change. Trump said, “There was no role for our deep state. This is something the Prime Minister has been working on for hundreds of years, and I’ve been reading about it. “I’ll leave Bangladesh to the Prime Minister.”
Trump’s remarks were in response to a reporter’s query about if the previous Democratic administration of former President Joe Biden had supported a regime transition in Bangladesh, perhaps appointing Muhammad Yunus as main adviser. Trump’s response, while not directly addressing the topic, signals that his administration may avoid intervening in Bangladesh.
Vikram Misri, India’s Foreign Secretary, stated that Prime Minister Modi expressed his worries about the recent happenings in Bangladesh to President Trump during their bilateral meeting. According to Misri, India wishes for a stable and beneficial relationship with Bangladesh, but there are already doubts.
Tensions between India and Bangladesh have risen since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina departed Dhaka in August, amid widespread anti-government rallies. Relations deteriorated further as a result of attacks on minorities, notably Hindus, during Muhammad Yunus’ temporary administration.
In addition to the diplomatic talks, President Trump announced the withdrawal of all funding to the Bangladesh government, with USAID instructing its partners to immediately halt all activities in the country. Trump also announced a new trade pact with India, which aims to reduce India’s trade imbalance by increasing oil and gas imports from the United States.
