Bangladesh is at a hazardous crossroads following the unexpected removal of Sheikh Hasina’s rule on August 5, which her supporters describe as a ‘Islamist-military coup.’
As accusations of betrayal and corruption swirl around Hasina’s inner circle, the country faces a turbulent political landscape marked by power conflicts, increased Islamist influence, and looming international consequences.
In this context, the role of personalities like Muhammad Yunus, as well as the involvement of foreign forces such as Pakistan’s ISI, complicate an already volatile scenario.
With Bangladesh’s democracy and military stability on the line, it’s unclear if this turmoil means the end of one authoritarian era or the start of another laden with deeper challenges.
While fleeing abroad, Sheikh Hasina’s notoriously corrupt ministers have begun giving interviews to international media, describing the August 5 government transition as a “Islamist-military coup.”
Lieutenants of Muhammad Yunus, including important players in the nascent “king’s party,” have stated unequivocally that there would be no election in Bangladesh until “fascist Sheikh Hasina and Awami League leaders” are brought to court.
They even say that the Awami League (AL) will be barred from participating in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, AL supporters and activists are becoming increasingly dissatisfied, believing they have been betrayed by Sheikh Hasina, her sister, daughter, son, and family members, as well as the notoriously corrupt leaders who plunder the country and smuggle billions of dollars abroad between 2009 and 2024.
During a recent interview, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, one of Hasina’s top oligarchs and former Home Minister, 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 eventually led to Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country.
Although it is clear 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 Bangladesh Army and intelligence officers. This looks to be a purposeful attempt to hide the truth and alter the facts.
According to credible sources, in addition to blaming the Bangladesh Army and General Waker Uz Zaman for the Awami League regime’s overthrow on August 5, 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 effectively countered, and General Waker Uz Zaman fails to take decisive action against Islamists, jihadists, and Caliphate supporters in Bangladesh, such as prohibiting the display of Al Qaeda, Islamic State (ISIS), and Hamas flags, as well as public acts of disrespect toward American, Israeli, and Indian flags, the Bangladesh Army may face serious consequences, including sanctions and expulsion from UN peacekeeping operations.
General Waker Uz Zaman must also take steps to convince Muhammad Yunus to remove Islamists, jihadists, and members of organizations such as Hizb Ut Tahrir and Hefazat-e-Islam from his cabinet.
Furthermore, Yunus should be urged to convene general elections by June this year and hand over power to an elected administration. The army chief must also reject Yunus’ attempts to tarnish the Directorate General of units Intelligence (DGFI) and Bangladesh’s counterterrorism units.
If Yunus and his allies are successful in accusing military commanders of crimes against humanity or major human rights breaches, the army could suffer severe consequences.
Furthermore, Yunus’ eagerness for establishing a “Ayna Ghar” (House of Mirrors) to identify the Bangladesh Army, DGFI, and counterterrorism forces as “rogue” may encourage Western authorities to apply sanctions.
General Waker Uz Zaman must know that Yunus and his accomplices intend to demolish the Bangladesh Army and DGFI and replace them with the Islamic Revolutionary Army (IRA).
Given the current situation, it is clear that General Waker Uz Zaman and the Bangladesh Armed Forces are on the “horns of a dilemma.”
Yunus and his Islamist-jihadist accomplices have begun to target senior DGFI officials and others who have played critical roles in countering terrorism and violent extremism. Some of Yunus’ close associates have accused General Waker Uz Zaman of assisting hundreds of corrupt Awami League politicians in departing the country.
This plainly exposes Yunus and his friends’ underlying aim of undermining General Zaman and replacing 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 backing this effort to establish control over the Bangladesh Army and deter countries such as China, Russia, India, EU nations, Britain, and even the United States from supplying arms and military hardware to Bangladesh.
According to media sources, Pakistan’s ISI is aggressively working to restore its bases and activities in Bangladesh, with the goal of disrupting India. They are focusing on regions that could be used as training grounds for Indian insurgent groups.
The ISI’s aim includes regaining control of strategic sites in Bangladesh that were exploited prior to the country’s independence in 1971. Initially, they will concentrate on Cox’s Bazar, Ukhiya, Teknaf, Nakdarasur, Moulvibazar (Kamalgonj region), Habiganj, Sherpur, Jamalpur, and Dinajpur.
According to reports, 67 trained operatives from the 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 worth noting that under Sheikh Hasina’s reign, which lasted from 2009 to 2024, her government eliminated all Indian rebel training camps and bases in Bangladesh.
At the same time, General Waker Uz Zaman is aware that, while he is already detested by fleeing Awami League officials, he is unpopular with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and other Islamist-jihadist elements in the country.
Most crucially, right after Sheikh Hasina escaped, General Zaman urged the populace to have “faith” in him. Later, he expressed hope that an election under Muhammad Yunus’ “interim government” would take place within 18 months.
Initially, Yunus appeared to be devoted to staging a “free and fair” election, which the BNP eagerly welcomed, referring to Yunus’ dictatorship as “own government.” The public expected the BNP to win the election by a landslide.
However, Jamaat-e-Islami, a crucial actor in Sheikh Hasina’s downfall, wanted the election postponed for 4-5 years in order to enhance its organizational powers. Meanwhile, Hizb Ut Tahrir aspired to turn Bangladesh into a Caliphate, while Yunus sought to establish his own political party, postpone the election, and consolidate control by marginalizing the Awami League and BNP.
While Muhammad Yunus, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Islamist forces have refused to hold elections for at least four years, Islamists in the country are forming coalitions with one another. Meanwhile, the Jatiya Party, led by GM Quader, is in talks with Yunus, the BNP, and Islamist forces in an attempt to emerge as a major role in the upcoming elections.
As Bangladesh deals with the fallout from Sheikh Hasina’s removal, the country is caught up in a web of political intrigue, Islamist resurgence, and international involvement.
The acts of major people, notably Muhammad Yunus and his friends, as well as the geopolitical goals of foreign powers such as Pakistan’s ISI, threaten to undermine the country’s fledgling democracy and damage its military prestige.
To emerge from current turbulence, Bangladesh requires bold leadership to combat extremist elements, defend democratic norms, and prioritise national interests over personal goals.
The stakes are too high for inaction; Bangladesh’s future rests on its capacity to withstand the forces of division and chart a course toward stability and advancement.
