OPED By Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
Bangladesh stands at a precarious crossroads following the abrupt ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s regime on August 5, an event her loyalists decry as an ‘Islamist-military coup.’
As accusations of betrayal and corruption swirl around Hasina’s inner circle, the nation grapples with a volatile political landscape dominated by power struggles, rising Islamist influence, and looming international repercussions.
Against this backdrop, the role of figures like Muhammad Yunus and the involvement of foreign powers, including Pakistan’s ISI, add further complexity to an already combustible situation.
With the future of Bangladesh’s democracy and military stability hanging in the balance, questions arise about whether this upheaval marks the end of one autocratic era or the beginning of another fraught with deeper challenges.
While living abroad as fugitives, Sheikh Hasina’s notoriously corrupt ministers have started giving interviews to foreign media, labeling the August 5 regime change as an “Islamist-military coup.”
Lieutenants of Muhammad Yunus, including key figures in the emerging “king’s party,” have categorically stated that there will be no election in Bangladesh until “fascist Sheikh Hasina and Awami League leaders” are brought to justice.
They even claim that the Awami League (AL) will not be allowed to participate in the next elections. Meanwhile, supporters and activists of the AL are growing increasingly frustrated, believing they have been betrayed by Sheikh Hasina, her sister, daughter, son, and family members, as well as the notoriously corrupt leaders who have plundered the country and smuggled billions of dollars abroad between 2009 and 2024.
During a recent interview, one of Hasina’s top oligarchs and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, accused Army Chief General Waker Uz Zaman and other top officials in the country’s intelligence agencies of collaborating in a joint coup by “Islamic terrorists and the army,” which ultimately led to Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country.
Although it is evident that the August 5 regime change was the result of a “meticulous plan” orchestrated by the “deep state” with active participation from Pakistan’s ISI and Muhammad Yunus, Hasina’s corrupt associates are now targeting General Waker Uz Zaman and other top officers of the Bangladesh Army and intelligence agencies. This appears to be a deliberate attempt to obscure the truth and distort the facts.
According to credible sources, in addition to blaming the Bangladesh Army and General Waker Uz Zaman for the August 5 ouster of the Awami League regime, Sheikh Hasina’s associates are desperately lobbying US policymakers to impose sanctions on the Bangladesh Armed Forces and expel them from the UN Peacekeeping Mission.
If such efforts are not countered effectively and if General Waker Uz Zaman fails to take decisive action against Islamists, jihadists, and Caliphate proponents in Bangladesh – such as halting displays of Al Qaeda, Islamic State (ISIS), and Hamas flags and public acts of disrespect toward American, Israeli, and Indian flags – the Bangladesh Army could face serious consequences, including sanctions and expulsion from UN peacekeeping operations.
General Waker Uz Zaman also needs to take measures to compel Muhammad Yunus to expel Islamists, jihadists, and members of groups like Hizb Ut Tahrir and Hefazat-e-Islam from his cabinet.
Furthermore, Yunus should be pressured to hold general elections by June this year and transfer power to an elected government. The army chief must also resist Yunus’s attempts to discredit the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and counterterrorism forces in Bangladesh.
If Yunus and his allies succeed in accusing military officers of crimes against humanity or gross human rights violations, the repercussions for the army could be devastating.
Additionally, Yunus’s enthusiasm for creating an “Ayna Ghar” (House of Mirrors) to label the Bangladesh Army, DGFI, and counterterrorism units as “rogue” could further embolden Western policymakers to impose sanctions.
General Waker Uz Zaman must recognize that Yunus and his cronies aim to dismantle the Bangladesh Army and DGFI and replace them with an Islamic Revolutionary Army (IRA).
Given the current scenario, it is evident that General Waker Uz Zaman and the Bangladesh Armed Forces are caught in the “horns of a dilemma.”
Yunus and his Islamist-jihadist associates have begun targeting senior DGFI officials and others who have played key roles in combating terrorism and violent extremism. Some of Yunus’s key aides have accused General Waker Uz Zaman of aiding hundreds of corrupt Awami League leaders in fleeing the country.
This clearly indicates a hidden agenda by Yunus and his allies to undermine General Zaman and replace him with a loyalist who is likely pro-Pakistan, pro-jihad, and anti-Semitic.
Pakistan’s notorious spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is reportedly supporting this effort to establish dominance over the Bangladesh Army and drive away countries like China, Russia, India, EU nations, Britain, and even the United States from supplying arms and military hardware to Bangladesh.
Media reports suggest that Pakistani ISI is actively attempting to reestablish its bases and operations in Bangladesh with the ulterior motive of destabilizing India. They are focusing on areas that could potentially serve as training grounds for Indian insurgent groups.
The ISI’s agenda includes regaining control over strategic locations in Bangladesh that were used before the country’s independence in 1971. Initially, they are focusing on Cox’s Bazar, Ukhiya, Teknaf, Nakdarasur, Moulvibazar (Kamalgonj area), Habiganj, Sherpur, Jamalpur, and Dinajpur.
Reports indicate that 67 trained operatives from ISI and Al-Quds have already begun training members of Hizb Ut Tahrir, Harkat-ul-Jihad (HuJI), Ansar al-Islam, Hefazat-e-Islam, and other Islamist militant groups in Bangladesh.
It is important to note that during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure from 2009 to 2024, her government dismantled all training camps and bases of Indian insurgent groups in Bangladesh.
At the same time, General Waker Uz Zaman is aware that while he is already despised by fugitive Awami League leaders, he is not favored by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and other Islamist-jihadist forces in the country.
Most importantly, immediately after Sheikh Hasina fled, General Zaman called on the public to have “faith” in him. Later, he expressed hope for an election under the “interim government” led by Muhammad Yunus within 18 months.
Initially, Yunus gave the impression of being committed to holding a “free and fair” election, which the BNP enthusiastically supported, referring to Yunus’s regime as their “own government.” Public perception leaned toward a BNP landslide victory in the election.
However, Jamaat-e-Islami, a key player in Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, wanted the election delayed by 4-5 years to strengthen its organizational capabilities. Meanwhile, Hizb Ut Tahrir planned to transform Bangladesh into a Caliphate, while Yunus aimed to float his own political party, delay the election, and consolidate power by marginalizing the Awami League and BNP.
While Muhammad Yunus, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Islamist forces resist holding elections for at least four years, Islamists in the country are working to form alliances among themselves. Meanwhile, the Jatiya Party, led by GM Quader, continues negotiations with Yunus, BNP, and Islamist forces in an effort to emerge as a significant player in the next elections.
As Bangladesh navigates the aftermath of Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, the nation finds itself entangled in a web of political intrigue, Islamist resurgence, and international interference.
The actions of key players, including Muhammad Yunus and his allies, and the strategic ambitions of foreign powers like Pakistan’s ISI threaten to destabilize the country’s fragile democracy and tarnish its military’s reputation.
For Bangladesh to emerge from this turmoil, decisive leadership is needed to counter extremist forces, uphold democratic principles, and prioritize national interests over personal ambitions.
The stakes are too high for inaction; the future of Bangladesh depends on its ability to resist the forces of division and chart a path toward stability and progress.
- Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is an internationally acclaimed multi-award-winning journalist, writer, research-scholar, and Editor, Blitz. He regularly writes for local and international newspapers.
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