US embassy rejects news agency report

The American Embassy in Dhaka has outright rejected a news agency report that the US funded a move to topple the Sheikh Hasina-led government in Bangladesh.

“There is absolutely no truth to this story,” an embassy spokesperson, Monica Shie, told The Daily Star yesterday when asked to comment on the report.

The United States and Bangladesh have a strong friendship and close cooperation between them on a wide range of issues, including countering extremism, building a trade relationship by improving workers safety, and enhancing regional economic engagement, she said.  

“Just this week, the United States was proud to announce that we officially offered the United States Coast Guard Ship (USCGS) Rush to Bangladesh on Aug 8.” 

Rush will complement Somudra Joy transferred to Bangladesh Navy last year. 

“We look forward to further broadening and deepening our bilateral relations at our annual Partnership Dialogue scheduled for October in Washington,” the embassy official said.

Attributing to Indian intelligence officials, the news agency's India correspondent reported that West Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress, which was said to have been hugely funded by the US to oust the left government in the state between 2009 and 2011, has transferred millions of dollars to its fundamentalist associates in Bangladesh.

The US is backing the Jamaat-BNP combine because it has promised a base in the Bay of Bengal, possibly in St Martin's Island, in case it comes to power, the report says.