Washington, D.C., August 13 — The White House has firmly denied any involvement in the recent ousting of Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In a statement on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed allegations that the United States played a role in her resignation, calling them "completely false."

The controversy emerged following reports published by the *Economic Times* and *The Print*, which quoted Sheikh Hasina as claiming that the U.S. had influenced her removal from office due to its interest in gaining control over Bangladesh's Saint Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, later clarified that his mother had not made any such statement to the media.

During her time in office, Sheikh Hasina had repeatedly suggested that the U.S. desired control of Saint Martin's Island and that her refusal to comply led to efforts to remove her from power. According to these reports, Hasina claimed that agreeing to cede the island would have secured her position.

When asked about these allegations during a press briefing on Monday, Karine Jean-Pierre stated, "The allegations of U.S. involvement in Hasina's ouster are completely false. We had no involvement at all. Such news involving the United States is nothing but lies."

Jean-Pierre emphasized that the political situation in Bangladesh is a matter for its people to decide, adding, "This is the choice of the people of Bangladesh. We believe that the people of Bangladesh will decide the future of the country's government, and we stand by them."

Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister on August 5 amid widespread public protests and has reportedly taken refuge in India, with multiple media outlets confirming her current stay in New Delhi.