New Delhi:
A round of meetings in Bangladesh has once again led to reports of major differences between Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman and Chief Adviser of the interim government Muhammad Yunus.
On Tuesday, a high-level meeting on the law and order situation in the country was held at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka, which was chaired by Mr Yunus. The meeting was attended by home adviser Lieutenant General (retired) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain and national security adviser Khalilur Rahman, who are part of the interim government that currently governs Bangladesh.
It was also attended by top military officials, including Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Navy chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan and Air Force chief Air Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan.
Reports from Bangladesh suggest that all meetings, rallies and processions around Sena Niwas, the residence of Army chief have been banned as there is apprehension that hardline Islamists, who are using the students’ uprising as a front to back Muhammad Yunus, might try to hold protests. The Army Chief’s planned visit to the US earlier this month was also cancelled.
Adding to the speculation was General Zaman’s May 20 scheduled address all “available officers” in Dhaka at the Army’s Senaprangan facility on May 20.
The apprehension also stems from the role of Lieutenant General Mohammad Faizur Rahman, the Quartermaster General (QMG), who seen as harbouring pro-Islamist and pro-Pakistan sentiments and is believed to have close links with Islamabad’s Inter Services Intelligence agency. He is said to be operating as Mr Yunus’s man in the army.
Differences between the Army Chief and the Quartermaster General also stem from Lieutenant General Mohammad Rahman holding a closed-door meeting with National Security Advisor Khalilur Rahman, who was appointed to the post while the Army Chief was abroad on an official visit to Russia and Croatia.
Sources have confirmed that Muhammad Yunus and Bangladesh Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman also have differences over the establishment of a ‘humanitarian corridor’ for the passage of logistics and supply of provisions to the Rakhine State in Myanmar, something that the Army chief is opposed to. The Yunus-led government has been trying to get the army chief to agree to the plan and have even tried to get foreign diplomats to help with the issue, but the army chief has not budged.
The army in Bangladesh has been warning about instability in the country and has been carrying out operations to maintain law and order.
In a statement issued on May 20, Bangladesh’s Inter Services Public Relations had said, “In a special operation conducted from 2 am tonight at the Bhashantek Army Camp of the 86 Independent Signal Brigade of the Bangladesh Army, 03 automatic pistols, 1 revolver and 28 rounds of bullets, including various equipment, were recovered from the Matikata area of the capital. 10 active members of the notorious ‘Hitlu Babu Gang’ were arrested in the operation.”
“The gang’s activities were being monitored from the Bhashantek army camp for a long time based on secret information. The operation was conducted today based on specific intelligence information. During the operation, around 5 am, when the gang members tried to attack the patrol team, considering it impossible to avoid arrest, the army team fired warning blank shots to bring the situation under control. Later, the terrorists failed to escape and were arrested by the army patrol. Residents welcomed this step of the army and expressed relief,” the statement added.
“The Bangladesh Army is committed to ensuring public safety and maintaining law and order. The public is requested to report any information about any criminal activity to the nearest army camp or law enforcement agency”, the statement said.
The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has been accused of delaying elections to form a properly elected government and even taken steps like banning the Bangladesh Awami League even before elections. The other main political party Bangladesh Nationalist Party has also highlighted the controversy over the appointment of Mohammad Azaz, the administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation. Protests have been held over his appointment in Dhaka.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party reposted an article by a researcher which said, “It appears that within the current interim government of Bangladesh, another shadow government is operating, led by at least six individuals who have cunningly infiltrated the statecraft. There is a well-coordinated attempt to vilify a few advisers and important officials who are working towards a democratic transition to uphold the spirit of the July 2024 monsoon revolution. However, this shadowy group of 14 people, including the six mentioned earlier and led by a man named Nurul Islam Bhuiyan Choton, is creating hurdles. One of the members of this group is Mohammad Azaz, the administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation.”
Bangladeshi researcher Sami said on X, which was reposted by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, stated, “I was curious to uncover his political identity and was shocked to find him among the top leaders of the banned organization Hizb ut-Tahrir (banned in Bangladesh since October 2009 for posing a threat to national security) was involved in Chhatra Shibir politics during his student life but became associated with Hizb ut-Tahrir in 2002. While working for this organization, he was arrested at least twice.”