Bangladesh Army chief rejects Rakhine corridor, demands December elections
Tensions have heightened between
Bangladesh
Army chief
General Waqar-uz-Zaman
and the Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime over the creation of
Rakhine corridor
to Myanmar, elections and law and order situation, among other issues.
Addressing a meeting of army officers in Dhaka on Wednesday, Gen Waqar rejected any notion of a "corridor" and declared it completely unacceptable, ET has learnt. It is understood that he expressed concerns about the interim regime making key decisions while keeping the armed forces in the dark. He firmly stated that the parliamentary elections must be held by this December and that only an elected government should determine the nation's course and not an unelected administration, it has been further learnt.
His strong views came in the backdrop of the move to ban the Awami League and India's decision to ban certain Bangladeshi exports to northeast India. During Wednesday's meeting, some of the officers emphasised that the 'Liberation war' legacy and national prestige were non-negotiable and must not be compromised under any circumstances. There are concerns within the army over efforts to undermine the legacy of Sheikh Mujib and the Liberation war.
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The army also decided that it will no longer tolerate mob violence or lawlessness, signaling a shift toward stricter enforcement of order. The officers appeared to rally behind Gen Waqar as of now. While there is no imminent move by him to take over the reins of the nation, Bangladesh watchers do not rule out stringent steps by the army chief.
Hours after the strong message, interim regime NSA Khalilur Rahman, who was allegedly instrumental in pushing the proposal for the Rakhine corridor, went on the backfoot and claimed that Dhaka has not talked about any corridor. Rahman said he is on the same page as the army and the foreign ministry on the issue. It is widely believed that certain external powers have been influencing Rahman to create a corridor to weaken China and the junta. But the move would also adversely impact India's interests in the region.
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