Bangladesh coup attempt: Sheikh Hasina betrayed by Army Chief with CIA help, alleges former home minister

In a startling claim published in the forthcoming book, Bangladesh’s former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has accused the Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman of orchestrating a coup against Sheikh Hasina and acting as an agent for the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).”It was a perfect CIA plot hatched over a long period of time to overthrow Hasina. We did not know the CIA had Waker in its pocket,” Kamal was quoted as saying in the book titled, ‘Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an Unfinished Revolution’, reported News18.

The Book has been reported by Deep Halder, The Best of the Best.

In the book, Kamal claims that the principal intelligence agencies of Bangladesh – the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and National Security Intelligence (NSI) – were unaware of what he describes as “the army chief himself (being) a principal plotter!””We did not know that General Waker-uz-Zaman was on their payroll. Our primary defence intelligence agency, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence of Bangladesh, as well as Bangladesh’s principal civilian intelligence agency, the National Security Intelligence, did not warn the prime minister that Waker had decided to betray her. Maybe their top bosses were also involved in this plot. How won’t they be? After all, the army chief himself was a principal plotter!” Khan is quoted as saying in the book, as per News18.

Strategic motives cited

According to Kamal, the motives behind the alleged plot include Washington’s desire to curb the influence of strong South Asian leaders, listing Hasina alongside PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He added another proximate reason: the maritime and strategic significance of St Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal.

“Two reasons. The first is to not have too many powerful heads of state in South Asia. Modi, Xi, Hasina. How would the CIA operate if such strong leaders rule the subcontinent? American interests are best served with weaker governments. But there was a more immediate reason – St Martin’s Island,” Kamal said in the book, as per News18.

Notably, before losing power, Hasina had also claimed that she would not face any problems if she handed over the island to the US.

Repercussions and political fallout

These revelations arrive amid rising political unrest in Bangladesh, with the army already ensnared in domestic politics after a case on October 11 where 15 officers were taken into custody for alleged enforced disappearances of political opponents. Zaman had to reportedly cancel a scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia amid fears of a split in the army.

With these revelations, Bangladesh faces intense speculation about the role of its military leadership, foreign intelligence involvement and the future of its democratic institutions. It remains to be seen whether independent verification will follow in the matter.