As Yunus’s army faces the emergence of multiple power regardless of...
Even though the relationship is slightly strained, hostilities between the factions of the Awami League and Islamic sect which are within the Bangladeshi army is should not be seen in isolation, as it still is not a total national emergency.
Following the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s junta, multiple centers attempting to pull and tug on varying ropes have stated their claim inside the Bangladesh military which makes up a strong component of the country’s muscle, alongside its internal divisions which is being headed by senior generals competing against each other. Instability politically has given an opportunity for the party to stabilize Bangladesh, but with multiple competing generals, it now seems that that would not be as easy.
Supporters of the Awami League come together as one
Considered as a soft leader, the current army chief general Waker-Uz-Zaman is said to be controlling the army at this time, however there are two new power centers that have started to spring up. One of them is reportedly spear-headed by General Mohammad Shaheenul Haque with support coming from Major General Mohammad Moin Khan of the 9 Division who is affiliated with a branch of the army that is said to be the strongest in terms of units and is devoted to the Awami League party.
Islamic group growing stronger
- The second power block is being reportedly headed by Lt Gen. Mohammad Faizur Rahman with connections to Mahfuz Alam, a close advisor to Hizb-ut-Tahrir’s powerful leader Mohammad Yunus, various student leaders and other hard right Islamic groups. He was previously the head of Bangladesh’s army intelligence, a department called ‘Directorate General of Forces Intelligence or DGFI.
Risk of internal uprising from within the army
There are allegations that Lt General Faizur Rahman may have been busy concocting a coup to dispose Bangladesh’s present stationed president while Waker-Uz-Zaman was out of the country for work. A number of these reports suggest that if interim government adviser Mohammad Yunus decides to exit Dhaka and vacate his position in the near future, then Faizur Rahman may also be disposed as part of a plan to dethroned the present dictator General.
The growing friction and power politics of the military has the potential to create an existential risk to the integrity of the institution and even the country.
How Bangladesh is not new to coups
Through the assassinations of politicians, military coups, and counter-revolutions, the political sphere of Bangladesh was filled with chaos throughout the 1980s.
Along with most of his family, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Sheikh Hasina and the founder of the Political Party, was assassinated in the military coup. That signaled the beginning of an extended period of military rule. That year experienced two other coups, as well, with Ziaur Rahman’s rules starting in November.
Ziaur Rahman died during a rebel attack on the government guest house he lodged in Chittagong. The army was not on the side of the rebels but instead remained loyal to the government, and therefore was able to stamp out the coup attempt even though a small percentage of army officers organized the attack.
Then Abdus Sattar ruled the country for a time until Hussein Muhammad Ershad staged a bloodless coup to oust him. Then, Ershad came into sight, being a martial law head and finally the president.