Did Saint Martin Island Erupt To Unseat Bangladesh PM?

Sheikh Hasina, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, now comfortably ensconced in a safe house in India, has fired the first salvo by making significant allegations that the US was behind her ouster. According to her, the US wanted Saint Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal. She has also claimed that she never called the protestors as Razakars- a term used to address those who collaborated with the Pakistan Army during the Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.

With Saint Martin Island being at the centre of the tsunami that forced a recently re-elected Bangladesh Prime Minister to flee the country, its strategic importance is of significance in arriving at the truth.

The Island is part of Bangladesh, established by the International Tribunal for the Law of Sea (ITLOS) in 2012. The Island is close to the mouth of the Bay of Bengal and provides a few strategic advantages. Firstly, a base at Saint Martin serves to dominate shipping in the Bay area while providing a launch pad for naval operations directed at Myanmar. Secondly, it can also serve as a base for forward stocking and logistics for naval fleets operating to keep sea lanes of communications in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal stable. The Island also allows any Navy based there to interfere and keep an eye on Indian Shipping in the Bay of Bengal.

However, attributing the uprising in Bangladesh’s streets solely to the US may not be the most logical explanation. It’s not just Sheikh Hasina, but any alternative government in Bangladesh that could potentially hand over the island to the US would be risking another ‘Arab Spring’, as warned by the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson in December 2023. It’s crucial to consider all factors in this complex situation to fully engage in the analysis.

St. Martin’s Island: A Vital Asset for Bangladesh

St. Martin’s Island, located in the Bay of Bengal, holds significant importance for Bangladesh in various aspects:

1. Tourism: The island is a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors with its pristine beaches, coral reefs, and diverse marine life.
2. Maritime Boundary: St. Martin’s Island serves as a crucial reference point for Bangladesh’s maritime boundary with Myanmar, established by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in 2012.
3. Economic Zone: The island falls within Bangladesh’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), providing access to valuable marine resources, including fish, oil, and gas.
4. Strategic Location: St. Martin’s Island is situated near the entrance of the Bay of Bengal, making it a vital location for maritime trade and security.
5. Environmental Significance: The island is home to a unique ecosystem, with coral reefs, sea turtles, and diverse marine life, emphasizing the need for conservation efforts.
6. Cultural Heritage: St. Martin’s Island has historical significance, with evidence of ancient Buddhist settlements and a lighthouse built during the British colonial era.
7. National Pride: The island is a symbol of Bangladesh’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, evoking national pride and sentiment.

Overall, St. Martin’s Island is a vital asset for Bangladesh, offering a mix of economic, strategic, environmental, and cultural significance.

Strategic Importance of St. Martin’s Island

St. Martin’s Island holds significant strategic importance for Bangladesh in several areas:

St. Martin’s Island holds significant strategic importance for Bangladesh

1. Maritime Boundary: The island serves as a crucial reference point for Bangladesh’s maritime boundary with Myanmar, securing access to the Bay of Bengal.
2. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): St. Martin’s Island falls within Bangladesh’s EEZ, providing access to valuable marine resources, including fish, oil, and gas.
3. Naval and Maritime Security: The island’s location near the entrance of the Bay of Bengal makes it a vital point for monitoring and controlling maritime traffic.
4. Trade and Commerce: St. Martin’s Island can serve as a hub for regional trade, connecting Bangladesh to Southeast Asia and beyond.
5. Energy Security: The island’s proximity to potential offshore oil and gas reserves makes it a strategic location for energy exploration and production.
6. Environmental Security: The island’s unique ecosystem and coral reefs make it essential for maintaining regional environmental balance and mitigating climate change impacts.
7. Military Significance: St. Martin’s Island can serve as a forward operating base for the Bangladesh Navy, enhancing the country’s military presence in the Bay of Bengal.
8. Regional Influence: The island’s strategic location allows Bangladesh to project influence in the region, promoting regional cooperation and stability.

By recognizing the strategic importance of St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh can leverage its unique position to enhance national security, economic growth, and regional influence.

St Martin’s Island, if controlled by any power other than Bangladesh (viz. USA), would serve as a check post and could monitor the local activities inside Bangladesh (military, strategic or economic and would deter the other regional forces from gaining any kind of foothold). This would have a great impact on the (not so evident) designs of China who would like to exploit the BRI route directly from China via Myanmar to Bangladesh for strategic and economic advantage.

Control Radicalism

The scale and spread of violence against minorities reflect a strong presence of radicalism in the resistance movement against Sheikh Hasina. It is not likely to be influenced by US interests.

Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has been chosen as the interim leader. He has ruled that no violence against minorities is acceptable. “Are they not the people of this country? You have been able to save the country; can’t you save some families? You must say — no one can harm them. They are my brothers; we fought together and will stay together,” Yunus appealed to the rampaging radicals.

For most students, who have been the resistance movement’s biggest strength, rebuilding the institutions of democracy is the biggest challenge.

Pakistan’s Inter-State Intelligence (ISI) will guide the radical elements. Such a nexus already exists. Without a firm stance from the interim authority, a disaster could be just around the corner.

The Bangladesh Army’s stance will be most important at this stage. Hopefully, they will retain neutrality and aid Yunus in returning the country to the rails. At the end of the road, the world awaits a stronger, secular democracy.

Brig SK Chatterji (Retd), Editor BharatShakti