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As the protest escalated and demonstrators marched into former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s residence, she had no choice but to flee Bangladesh. Hasina has sought refuge in India. Recently, the media has retrieved her undelivered speech, the last address she intended to give to the protesting students but never delivered.
In a portion of her unrendered speech, Sheikh Hasina asserted that her government could have remained in power if she had handed over St. Martin’s Island to the United States. The timing of Hasina’s remarks raises questions about why she chose to bring up the sovereignty of this strategically significant island located in the Bay of Bengal amid ongoing protests against her leadership.
Why Is St. Martin’s Island In Spotlight
The contentious island is a small coral island in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal. Located roughly nine kilometres south of Bangladesh’s southernmost peninsula, Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf, near Myanmar.
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- St Martin’s Island recently came into 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.
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- The alleged deal was reportedly intended to secure U.S. support for the BNP in winning the upcoming elections.
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- The island, commonly referred to as ‘Narikel Jinjira’ or Coconut Island in Bengali, is named for its abundant coconut trees. It is also known as ‘Daruchini Dwip,’ which translates to Cinnamon Island.
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- This is Bangladesh’s only coral island.
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- The island covers three square kilometres and is home to approximately 3,700 residents.
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- The inhabitants mainly engage in fishing, rice cultivation, coconut farming, and seaweed harvesting, with the seaweed being dried and exported to Myanmar.
St Martin’s Geopolitical Importance
The island is in proximity to the Bay of Bengal and shares the maritime boundary with Myanmar; this strategic placement has intensified its demand, especially among the US and China, as they are eyeing strengthening their presence in the region.
In June of the previous year, Sheikh Hasina accused the United States of attempting to obtain St. Martin’s Island and establish a military base there in exchange for a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) electoral victory.
She further claimed that the BNP would sell the island to the US if elected. Hasina stated that her government would remain in power even if St. Martin’s Island were leased out, but emphasised that she would never permit such an action while she was in office.
“I have no intention to go to power by selling the country’s assets,” a report by Prothom Alo English quoted Sheikh Hasina last year.
She added, “BNP came to power in 2001 by pledging to sell gas. Now they want to sell the country. They want to come to power by pledging to sell St. Martin’s island.”
History Of St Martin’s Island
The island’s history dates back to the 18th century, when it was first settled by Arabian merchants who named it ‘Jazira.’ In 1900, a British land survey team incorporated St. Martin’s Island into British India, naming it after a Christian priest, Saint Martin. However, some reports suggest the island may have been named after Mr. Martin, the Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong at the time.
In 1937, the coral island remained under British India’s control following Myanmar’s separation. It stayed under Indian administration until the 1947 partition, after which it became part of Pakistan.
Following the 1971 Liberation War, 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.