Amid the worsening law-and-order situation in Bangladesh and the growing rift between its student leaders and the army, speculations are mounting about the possibility of a military coup, declaration of martial law, or a state of emergency in India’s neighbouring country.
While such reports — dismissed as rumours by the Bangladesh military so far — have been doing the rounds for quite a while, the latest impetus to these has come from the deployment of army troops in Dhaka.
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According to a report in the Northeast News, troops from the Savar-based 9th Division of the Bangladeshi Army have started entering capital Dhaka in a phased manner. It has led to renewed speculations that the army may move against the student-backed interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Army chief’s growing displeasure
Bangladesh Army chief, General Waker-u-Zaman, has expressed his displeasure with the way things have panned out in the country since Sheikh Hasina’s departure several times, in no uncertain terms.
“I have had enough in the last seven to eight months,” he had told a gathering of army personnel at a function about a month back. “I’m warning you in advance so that you don’t say tomorrow that I did not tell you,” he had said. “The anarchy we have witnessed is of our own making,” he had added.
Of late, the army’s refusal to pander to the student leaders’ demand to ban the Awami League has further strained the relationship between the two. A prominent student activist, Hasnat Abdullah, recently threatened to launch a mass movement against the army amid allegations that it was hatching a plan to reinstate the Awami League, a charge the army has denied.
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Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, one of the advisers in the interim government, has also claimed that General Zaman had been reluctant to support Yunus’s appointment as chief adviser.
Emergency meeting
Amid these developments, the army held an emergency meeting on Monday, according to a report by India Today.
The meeting, led by General Zaman, was attended by top army officers. The discussions reportedly revolved around the potential role of the army in restoring stability in the country.
India Today reported its sources as saying that the army may pressure the President to declare a state of emergency or stage a coup against Yunus. The army is reportedly also exploring the option of forming a national unity government under its oversight.
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Army chief dismisses rumours
General Zaman has, however, dismissed the rumours of a coup and urged everyone to have patience. Addressing senior army officials at another event in Dhaka on Monday (March 24), he emphasised that any misinformation should not be allowed to cause distractions in the army.
Stressing that “the country and its people remain the army’s highest priority”, he urged the troops to remain vigilant and not succumb to provocations. He warned that any impulsive actions could serve the interests of those seeking to destabilise the country.
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For some seven months now, since Hasina’s flight to India, the army has been exercising magistracy powers, supporting the civil administration headed by the interim government.
With Yunus expected to leave for a three-day China visit from March 26, it will be interesting to watch how the developments in Dhaka pan out.