USAID funds, links to Clinton used to support regime change in Bangladesh, says ex-miner; ‘There is a nexus’ | World News

The former miner claimed that the protests that led to Hasina’s ouster were not spontaneous but “carefully planned” and funded. (File Photo)

A former miner in Sheikh Hasina’s government has claimed that US aid funds and links with the Clinton family were used to support the 2024 unrest in Bangladesh that led to the former prime miner’s removal from power, Russia Today reported.

In an interview with RT’s Runjun Sharma, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, who served in Hasina’s cabinet and took part in crisis negotiations, alleged that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and several US-based organisations had been involved in campaigns against the Hasina government.
Story continues below this ad

“Certain actions of some NGOs, especially from the United States naming a few, I mean USAID, for example, or the International Republican Institute they were running campaigns against our government for a while, since 2018,” Chowdhury told RT.

‘Carefully planned’ unrest

The former miner claimed that the protests that led to Hasina’s ouster were not spontaneous but “carefully planned” and funded. “There is a nexus between the Clinton family and the interim Yunus regime from a very long past,” he said. “These activities were going on for a long time. They weren’t very open, but funding of clandestine NGOs was going on. They were hell-bent on changing the government in Bangladesh.”

He also questioned how USAID funds were used. “IRI was active, USAID’s fundings were going to nowhere. Where had that money gone to? It was destined for regime change activities,” Chowdhury alleged. “A chaos was carefully planned with this money. And then the chaos was turned into a big riot.”

Hasina’s fall from power

The comments come more than a year after Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee Bangladesh in August 2024, following weeks of student-led protests against job quotas that escalated into nationwide violence. According to the interim government’s figures, more than 700 people died during the unrest.

Hasina, who had led Bangladesh for 15 years, fled just before protesters stormed her residence. Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus later became chief adviser of the interim government.

Shift in regional policy

Since Yunus took charge, Bangladesh’s interim adminration has moved to strengthen ties with Pakan while easing away from India, RT reported. The two countries have had strained relations since the 1971 war, when millions were killed as Bangladesh gained independence from Pakan.

Pakan’s then defence miner Aziz Ahmed later said his country “condemned and deeply regretted” any violations that may have occurred during the conflict, according to RT.