India Had Expressed Concerns Over Bangladesh Army Chief Appointment, Say Sources

 New Delhi/Dhaka | May 23, 2025 — Senior Awami League figures, currently in exile, have revealed that Indian intelligence agencies issued early warnings regarding the appointment of General Waker-Uz-Zaman as Bangladesh’s Army Chief—concerns that were ultimately disregarded by the then-ruling leadership in Dhaka.

According to top party sources, South Block had alerted Dhaka about Zaman’s alleged pro-Pakistan leanings and questioned the selection process that overlooked two potentially stronger candidates. When the initial cautionary signals were not heeded, a senior official from the Government of India reportedly contacted then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directly.

“The objection was on two counts. One, on technical grounds as Zaman wasn’t in his best health then. Two better candidates were overlooked, New Delhi had pointed out. The second point was strategic, as Zaman was pro-Pakistan. However, it seems Waker-Uz-Zaman finally got the post because he was related to Sheikh Hasina,” Bangladeshi journalist Shahidul Hasan Khokon told PTI.

Hasina’s Choice Overrode Strategic Caution

General Zaman, commissioned into the Bangladesh Army in 1985, holds advanced degrees in defence studies from both the National University of Bangladesh and King’s College London. His four-decade military career includes service in United Nations peacekeeping missions.

While serving as Principal Staff Officer in the Armed Forces Division under the Prime Minister’s Office, Zaman reportedly gained Hasina’s trust—enough for her to override allied intelligence inputs. “She felt it was okay to trust her gut feeling over intelligence from Bangladesh’s closest ally back then — India,” one source remarked.

On June 23, 2024, just 22 days before a massive student-led uprising shook Dhaka, Zaman was appointed Army Chief. The unrest—ostensibly over reservation policies—quickly escalated, triggering a political crisis that culminated in Hasina's resignation and exile.

Televised Coup and the Rise of Yunus

On August 5, 2024, Zaman addressed the nation via a televised broadcast. He announced that Prime Minister Hasina had resigned and fled the country—reportedly to India—and that an interim civilian government would be formed under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to oversee a democratic transition. The announcement was met with chaotic celebrations across Dhaka.

Zaman is married to Begum Sarahnaz Kamalika Rahman, daughter of former Army Chief General Mustafizur Rahman. Sources note that Hasina is a distant aunt of Sarahnaz, adding a familial dimension to Zaman’s rapid ascent.

A Fractured Transition: Yunus and the Military at Odds

As of May 2025, tensions between the interim civilian government led by Muhammad Yunus and the military have become increasingly public. The Daily Star reported this week: “Frustrated over recent developments, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is considering stepping down,” citing sources close to both the Chief Adviser’s Office and Jamuna.

During a recent advisory council meeting, Yunus allegedly expressed a desire to resign and address the nation. National Citizen Party Convener Nahid Islam, seen as a potential successor, confirmed in a BBC Bangla interview that Yunus was “weighing resignation.”

The military’s frustrations appear to stem from several decisions under Yunus’s watch, including the controversial release of nearly 300 individuals convicted in the 2009 mutiny, which resulted in the deaths of 57 army officers and 16 others.

Concerns have also arisen over rising militancy. Jashimuddin Rahmani, head of the Ansarullah Bangla Team, has resurfaced as a threat, with military insiders viewing him as a harbinger of a more radicalized future. However, the flashpoint appears to be growing U.S. engagement in Dhaka’s internal affairs.

US Ties Fuel Military Unease

A recent meeting between General Kamrul Hassan, military adviser to Yunus, and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Tracey Ann Jacobson has further strained ties. Within the armed forces, the interaction is widely viewed as a veiled attempt to secure U.S. backing for a leadership change in the military.

“To say Zaman is out to oust Yunus may still be premature. But to say he wants him to go? Definitely,” said one military source. “When an Army Chief tells a nation about a foreign hand deciding internal matters, he is likely to have public support with him.”

As Bangladesh navigates this fraught transition, questions persist about civilian control, foreign influence, and whether Zaman’s appointment—initially viewed with concern—was the beginning of a broader realignment in Dhaka’s power structure.