Bangladesh Violence / Where is St. Martin Island, which USA wants to occupy, why did Hasina make the allegation

Bangladesh Violence: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has now given a statement for the first time after leaving the country amid violence. In her statement, she blamed the US for the coup. Deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina alleged that if she had handed over sovereignty over Saint Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal to the United States, my power would have remained.

The Economic Times quoted Sheikh Hasina as saying, "If I had given up my sovereignty over Saint Martin Island and let the US control this part of the Bay of Bengal. Then I could have remained in power." Let us try to know where the island mentioned by Sheikh Hasina is and how important it is in the Bay of Bengal.

How big is Saint Martin Island

Saint Martin Island, also known as Narikel Jinjira (Coconut Island) or Daruchini Island (Cinnamon Island). There is a small island spread over an area of ​​just 3 km square in the north-eastern region of the Bay of Bengal. This island is located about 9 km south of the Cox's Bazar-Tankaf Peninsula. While it is located at the mouth of the Naf River, about 8 km west of the north-western coast of Myanmar.

This is a very beautiful small island. It is Bangladesh's only coral island and is known for its amazing natural beauty. The clear blue water and lots of marine life like corals attract people. This island is also a popular tourist destination. Especially during winter, the weather here becomes very good. The economy around the island depends mainly on fishing, rice-coconut cultivation and tourism. About 6 thousand people live on this small island.

Dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar

However, there has been a constant dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar over this beautiful island. Due to the dispute over the demarcation of the maritime border, there has been a conflict over sovereignty claims. The two countries have clashed over fishing rights around the region. In 2012, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruled that the island was part of Bangladesh's territorial sea, continental shelf and EEZ.

In 2018, the Bangladesh government protested Myanmar's updated map that showed the island as part of its sovereign territory. However, Myanmar later admitted the "mistake".

Why is it strategically important?

The allegations made by Sheikh Hasina bring to the fore China's strategy in the Indian Ocean region. China is trying to stop India from moving forward by building a series of military bases and economic trade corridors as part of its so-called Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Bangladesh has partnered with China in its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) initiative, which India considers a violation of its sovereignty as the project passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Meanwhile, China's ever-increasing presence in the Indian Ocean region has alerted the US and Washington has responded by formulating its Indo-Pacific strategy, in which India is a major strategic partner. The two countries have developed other mechanisms such as QUAD (Quadrilateral security dialogue) and Malabar Naval Exercises in response to China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean region.