Dhaka, Nov. 15 -- Sheikh Hasina has said she "does not believe "the United States or any other foreign power was "involved" in the fall of the Awami League government in Bangladesh.

Speaking to News18, an India-based media outlet, she said Muhammad Yunus, as an economist, managed to form "a network of influential Western admirers", which may have shaped perceptions abroad.

In the interview, published on Thursday, she discussed the July episode, the role of the Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the interim authority, the "rise" of extremist groups inside Bangladesh, and India's position.

News18 journalist Manoj Gupta opened the interview by asking what precise intelligence or threat indicators compelled her to leave Dhaka -- whether it...