Kathmandu, May 29: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has alleged that there is a conspiracy to create a new Christian country similar to East Timor by dividing parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar. Speaking at a meeting of 14 parties at Gono Bhawan on Sunday, Hasina stated she would never allow this to happen. However, she did not specify which country is purportedly behind this plan.

According to the Bangladeshi website The Daily Star, Hasina also revealed that before the elections on January 7, she was offered a hassle-free election in exchange for permitting the construction of an airbase within Bangladesh’s borders. She did not disclose which country made this proposal.

Hasina emphasized that she faces significant challenges both internally and externally, and claimed there is a conspiracy against her. “Like East Timor, they are trying to take parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar to form a Christian nation, whose base will be in the Bay of Bengal,” she said.

She highlighted that the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean have been central to trade activities for centuries and warned that many interests are now focused on this region. Hasina assured that there is no existing conflict in the area and such plans will not be allowed to succeed.

Regarding the airbase proposal, Hasina mentioned that a “white foreigner” approached her with the offer, implying that the interests behind the proposal are extensive. She suggested that the Awami League government often faces difficulties due to such conspiracies and warned of increasing problems ahead, but assured there is no need for panic.

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, is a Christian-majority country that gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 after a long history of colonization and conflict. It became the first new nation of the 21st century in Asia.