On August 11, Sajeeb Wazed, son of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, publicly denounced a recent statement attributed to his mother as “completely false and fabricated.” The alleged statement, purportedly published by a newspaper, claimed that Hasina suggested she could have retained power by ceding Bangladesh’s St Martin’s Island and the Bay of Bengal to the United States.
Context of the Alleged Statement
The claim seems to stem from a speech made by Hasina in 2023, where she purportedly mentioned that retaining power would have been feasible if she had leased St Martin’s Island. However, she did not name any specific country in her speech, contrary to the allegations.
Critique of Opposition Party
In the same speech, Hasina criticized the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for allegedly planning to sell the island. She questioned how the BNP gained power in 2001, accusing them of previously promising to sell gas and now supposedly wanting to sell St Martin’s Island.
Geographical and Historical Details
- Location: St Martin’s Island is situated in the northeastern Bay of Bengal, near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
- Distance: The island is approximately nine kilometers from the southern tip of Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula.
- Size and Features: The island is 7.3 kilometers long, flat, and at an elevation of 3.6 meters above sea level. It is the only coral island in Bangladesh and serves as a breeding ground for sea turtles.
Population and Tourism
- Permanent Population: Approximately 10,000 residents live on the island.
- Tourism: Around 10,000 tourists visit the island daily, as reported by The Daily Sun.
Historical Background
- Submersion and Resurgence: The island was part of the Teknaf peninsula about 5,000 years ago but submerged. It re-emerged approximately 450 years ago, with its northern parts rising above sea level over the next century.
- Early Settlers: Arab merchants first settled on the island in the 18th century, naming it “Jazira,” later changed to “Narikel Jinjira” (Coconut Island).
- British Annexation: In 1900, British India annexed the island during a land survey. It was known as St Martin’s Island, named after the Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong, Martin.
- Post-Partition History: After the 1947 partition of British India, the island became part of Pakistan and later independent Bangladesh following the 1971 Liberation War.
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):
1. What was the nature of the statement attributed to Sheikh Hasina that Sajeeb Wazed rejected?
- A. She intended to sell St Martin’s Island to a foreign country.
- B. She claimed she could retain power by ceding St Martin’s Island.
- C. She planned to resign from her position.
- D. She announced a new economic policy.
- Answer: B. She claimed she could retain power by ceding St Martin’s Island.
2. How did Sheikh Hasina criticize the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in her speech?
- A. By accusing them of planning to sell gas.
- B. By claiming they wanted to sell St Martin’s Island.
- C. By alleging they were involved in corruption.
- D. By accusing them of failing to provide healthcare.
- Answer: B. By claiming they wanted to sell St Martin’s Island.
3. What is the geographical significance of St Martin’s Island?
- A. It is the largest island in the Bay of Bengal.
- B. It is the only coral island in Bangladesh.
- C. It is the southernmost point of Bangladesh.
- D. It is the site of an ancient battle.
- Answer: B. It is the only coral island in Bangladesh.
4. When did British India annex St Martin’s Island?
- A. 1800
- B. 1900
- C. 1947
- D. 1971
- Answer: B. 1900
5. Which group was among the first to settle on St Martin’s Island in the 18th century?
- A. British colonists
- B. Bengali fishermen
- C. Arab merchants
- D. Portuguese traders
- Answer: C. Arab merchants