‘That’s laughable’, State Dept says on claims of US role in mass protests

The US yesterday dismissed as "laughable" the claims that it orchestrated the mass protests in Bangladesh that led to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster on August 5.

"That's laughable. Any implication that the United States was involved in Sheikh Hasina's resignation is absolutely false," State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel told media in Washington in response to a question.

"We have seen a lot of disinformation in recent weeks, and we remain incredibly committed to strengthening information integrity across the digital ecosystem, especially with our partners in South Asia," he said

Hasina, who was in power for 15 years, resigned and fled to India on August 5 after a mass upsurge.