Bangladesh's Yunus, Army Chief At Loggerheads: Is Emergency Looming? Exclusive
Has the rift between Bangladesh's chief of interim government Mohammad Yunus and Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman widened? News18 had earlier reported on the tussle between the two.
The Bangladesh Army chief has called for an urgent meeting to explore the 'plan of action". 'The Army chief wants Yunus to declare elections as soon as possible. His biggest worry is instability due to foreign interference, which may be a possibility because of Yunus who is perceived as a puppet of foreign agencies," said sources from the Army.
2 MAJOR WORRIES
Zaman plans to bring the parties of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to come together and contest elections for the country, said sources. 'The Army's biggest worry is Yunus's release of prisoners through executive orders."
Earlier, sources close to the Army chief had told CNN-News18 that the Bangladesh Army was on-board with Zaman.
The second biggest worry is Yunus's attempt of division of Army with his appointment of a National Security Advisor in the absence of the Army chief.
Earlier, Quarter-Master General Lt Gen Faizur Rahman held a closed door meeting with NSA Khalilur Rahman, a confidant of Yunus. Sources say the attempt of new NSA and Yunus will be to remove the Army chief, but most of the commanders want the elections as soon as possible.
In the meantime, the Army chief is also clear that he will not take pressure of any civil group and stopped movement of any protests towards his office or home. Sources say he tried to help Yunus initially, but given the foreign interference, the Army chief wants the elections soon. 'He has already made backchannels with all the parties to contest together for the sake of democracy."
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WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION: Zaman, appointed Army chief in June 2024, is widely respected as a balanced leader with a pro-India tilt. In stark contrast, Lieutenant General Mohammad Faizur Rahman, the Quartermaster General (QMG), is seen as harbouring pro-Islamist and pro-Pakistan sentiments, putting him at odds with the Army chief's vision, News18 had reported.
ARMY CHIEF WASN'T KEEN TO MAKE YUNUS THE ADVISOR: News18 had reported how Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser of the National Citizen Party (NCP), recently put up a 28-second video in which Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan said that the Army chief was not keen on making Yunus the advisor. In the recording, Asif indicated that the Army chief had questioned the credentials of Yunus. He said despite his Nobel laureate status and reformist credentials, he was not the right person for the role. 'This suggest a hesitation within the military establishment about Yunus. This video is evidence of internal divisions within the Army. It also hints at possible interference by external forces. It is possible that Yunus knows about this development and wants the Army chief to go. Earlier, the Army chief had asked civilians to handover the country into right hands," said top intelligence sources from India.
ISI CHIEF MET QMG: News18 had reported about a recent meeting between Pakistan's ISI chief Lieutenant General Asim Malik and Rahman earlier this year, suggested a clear division, further fuelling tensions within the Army and seen as a snub to the Army chief. The visit to Dhaka also showed the country's open ambition to cause more 'trouble and infiltration" in India's northeast.
RIFT WITHIN ARMY: News18 had also reported how the Bangladesh Army was divided, with pro-ISI and pro-Awami League factions. There were also reports of a coup by QMG, which failed as disciplined officers refused to go against the Army chief. Sources said the QMG's pro-Islamist and pro-Pakistan stand and Army Chief's pro-India position was causing friction. Zaman has publicly expressed frustration with the interim government's inability to stabilize the country. He wants the military to return to barracks once stability is restored, while Rahman's actions suggest a preference for a more active military role, potentially aligned with specific ideological or external agendas.
ARMY CHIEF HAD HINTED AT A COUP: 'I can see a potential threat to the independence and sovereignty of the country. I have no other aspirations but want to see the country in safe hands. I had enough in the last 7-8 months…I'm warning you in advance so that you don't say tomorrow I have not told you," News18 had reported Zaman as saying.
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First Published:
May 20, 2025, 15:03 IST
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