After Sheikh Hasina was toppled from power, a finger of suspicion was pointed at the Biden administration, which was known to be very unhappy with the then Bangladesh prime minister.
The subsequent elevation of Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus -- who is perceived to be close to the Americans -- as leader of the interim government in Dhaka was interpreted in some quarters as confirmation of the fact that the United States was the puppeteer behind Hasina's ouster.
Professor Yunus is in New York, accompanied by young Bangladeshis who led the student uprising against Hasina, and the bon homie he shared with two US presidents, current and past, will add masala to the conspiracy theorists.
IMAGE: US President Joe Biden hugs Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the margin of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, September 25, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Biden expressed his administration's support to the Bangladesh government. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: 'President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met today with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh to congratulate him on his recent appointment as the head of the interim government,' read the White House statement.
'Both leaders affirmed the close partnership between the United States and Bangladesh, which is rooted in shared democratic values and strong people-to-people ties.
'President Biden welcomed further engagement between the two governments and offered continued US= support as Bangladesh implements its new reform agenda.' Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Professor Yunus speaks at the 2024 Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York, September 24, 2024.
'You're the only old guy I know who was ever drafted for his eminent position by the young people of his country," Mr Clinton quipped about Mr Yunus's elevation to interim leader,' AFP reported. Photograph: Kind courtesy Muhammad Yunus/X
IMAGE: Former US president Bill Clinton, AFP reported, 'hailed their 40 year-long friendship and the global impact of the Bangladeshi's pioneering microfinance loans.' Photograph: Kind courtesy Muhammad Yunus/X
IMAGE: 'Their friendship dates back to the 1980s,' AFP reported, 'when Mr Clinton, then governor of Arkansas, invited Mr Yunus to visit and share his approach to alleviating poverty through small loans, which had successfully empowered impoverished Bangladeshi women without access to traditional banking services.' Photograph: Kind courtesy Muhammad Yunus/X
Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com and Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com