The Bangladesh Army finds itself in a precarious situation today. The line that is being taken by the army seems to be a confused one and it does not whether to tow Muhammad Yunus’ line or help in the restoration of peace in the country.
However, Bangladesh watchers are of the view that neither of the two stances that the army may want to take will help it. The situation is a complex one and either way, the army faces a threat of international isolation and sanctions.
No friends, only foes
When Yunus proposed the creation of an Ayna Ghar (house of mirrors), it became amply clear that his target was the army and the DGFI. He wants the DGFI and army to be labelled as rogue units.
This line is being towed by Yunus at the behest of the ISI and his Islamic fanatic supporters so that the Islamic Revolutionary Army (IRA) can be created. The IRA would be formed on the lines of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
In order to further this, Yunus has given the students who ensured the ouster of Sheikh Hasina a free hand to operate. Preparations are on in full swing to set up the IRA, which would fierce fully advocate for an Islamic State where the rule of the Sharia would prevail. This project has the complete backing of the Yunus administration and also the ISI. This would effectively aim to replace the Bangladesh army and DGFI.
On the other hand, the army is getting no love from the workers of the Awami League. In an interview, Sheikh Hasina’s former home minister accused Army Chief, General Waker Uz Zaman and other top officials in the country’s intelligence agencies of taking part in a joint coup by the Islamic terrorists, which eventually led to Hasina fleeing.
In general, the Awami League supporters are frustrated and feel betrayed by Hasina, her sister, son, daughter and family members. Adding to the frustration is that their leader has abandoned them, and the Yunus administration has made it clear that the Awami League will not take part in the elections. The administration states that before the Awami League could contest the polls, cases against them which involved alleged corruption and other atrocities must be settled.
It is a well-known fact that the Bangladesh army had no role to play in the coup that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina. It was the game plan of the deep-state and ISI which eventually led to the events in Bangladesh. However, the army is now being targeted by Hasina’s supporters and the Yunus administration, and this seems to a deliberate attempt to set a fake narrative against the Bangladesh army and its chief, General Waker Uz Zaman.
Hidden agenda
Every player in Bangladesh has a hidden agenda and the army is set to become the collateral damage in all this. General Zambian finds himself in a precarious situation. Both the establishment as well as the ISI want him replaced at any cost.
The visit by the ISI officials to Bangladesh recently was part of a larger agenda to support an effort to establish dominance over the army. The ISI realises that it is game on in Bangladesh, but General Zambian will prove to be a hurdle. Hence getting him out of the way is important in order to achieve the larger goal.
While the establishment of the IRA would be the ultimate goal for now the ISI and the establishment would want to gain complete control over the army. Hence the first step would be to get General Zaman to step down and replace him with a stooge of the ISI.
Once the army comes under control, then it would be a breeze for the ISI to establish its bases in the country. They would also look to set up training grounds with an intention of hitting the northeastern states. Further the regaining of control over the strategic locations in Bangladesh which were used prior to the Liberation War is also part of the larger agenda of the ISI.
Remaining mum is also not an option for the Bangladesh army and its chief. The army is already under scrutiny for not going enough against the rise of the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. Further the international community is also watching closely how Hamas flags flying around and the disrespect that the people are showing towards the Americans, Israelis and Indians. If the army does not act on this, then it risks being expelled from UN peacekeeping missions and also hit with sanctions.
In a nutshell, the days to come would witness a struggle between the Bangladesh establishment and army. Looking at the developments, it is quite evident that in all this chaos, the Bangladesh army will end up becoming the collateral damage.
