Dhaka: There is growing tension between the military and student leaders in Bangladesh during protests that drove Sheikh Hasina into exile. Hasanat Abdullah, a central member of the recently established National Citizens Party (NCP), came out strongly and made a very serious accusation about Army Chief General Wakar Uz-Zaman.
According to him, the general did not desire Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus to act as an advisor. In a widely shared video, Hasanat disclosed that General Zaman asked Yunus if he was the right person for the job. The army chief reportedly felt that though Yunus has Nobel status and the image of a reformist, he wasn’t appropriate. General Zaman emphasized handing over the country into competent hands.
The situation became more complicated because of disagreements between General Wakar Uz-Zaman and Lieutenant General Mohammad Faizur Rahman. Some of the generals, under Faizur Rahman, attempted to oust Zaman from office but were unsuccessful. General Zaman is considered a balanced leader who is sympathetic toward India, and most in the army’s professional ranks support him. Within the Bangladesh Army, two factions have formed. One favors groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami, while the other is associated with the Awami League. This division has fostered more divisions and made the environment unstable.
It also came to light that Lieutenant General Faizur Rahman has been put under house arrest. He is charged with meeting Pakistan’s head of ISI, which others have interpreted as part of a conspiracy against General Zaman. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) labelled the incidents as an election-time conspiracy. They intimated the allegations are an attempt to blacken the reputation of the army. The turmoil is still fuelling uncertainty in the country.
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