“The evening earlier than chief Sheikh Hasina abruptly fled Bangladesh amid lethal protests, her military chief held a gathering together with his generals and determined troops wouldn’t open hearth on civilians to implement the curfew,” two serving military officers with information of the discussions instructed the BBC. Reuters.
“Normal Waker-Uz-Zaman contacted Ms Hasina’s workplace and knowledgeable the prime minister that his troopers wouldn’t be capable of implement the lockdown she had requested,” in keeping with an Indian official briefed on the matter.
The message was clear, the official mentioned: Ms. Hasina not had the navy’s help.
Particulars of the net assembly between prime navy commanders and the message to Ms Hasina that she had misplaced their backing had not been beforehand reported.
They assist clarify how Hasina’s 15-year rule, throughout which she tolerated little dissent, got here to such a chaotic and sudden finish on Monday (August 5, 2024), when she fled Bangladesh for India.
The nationwide curfew had been imposed after no less than 91 individuals have been killed and a whole bunch injured in nationwide clashes on Sunday (August 4, 2024), the deadliest day since student-led protests towards Hasina started in July. Military spokesman Lt Col confirmed the night discussions on Sunday (August 4, 2024), which he described as a daily assembly to take updates after any unrest. He didn’t present particulars when put to him for additional questions in regards to the decision-making at that assembly.
Ms Hasina couldn’t be reached and her son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, didn’t reply to repeated requests for remark.
Reuters On Jan. 11, Hasina spoke to 10 individuals acquainted with the occasions of the previous week, together with 4 serving military officers and two different knowledgeable sources in Bangladesh, to reconstruct the ultimate 48 hours of Hasina’s reign. A lot of them spoke on situation of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Hasina, who has dominated Bangladesh for 20 of the previous 30 years, was elected to a fourth time period on the helm of the nation of 170 million individuals in January after arresting 1000’s of opposition leaders and staff. That election was boycotted by her fundamental rivals. Her iron grip on energy has been challenged because the summer time by protests sparked by a courtroom ruling that reserved authorities jobs — extremely coveted amid excessive youth unemployment — for sure segments of the inhabitants. The choice was reversed, however the demonstrations had shortly morphed right into a motion to oust Hasina.
“Normal Zaman has not publicly defined his choice to withdraw help for Hasina, however the scale of the protests and the loss of life toll of no less than 241 made supporting Hasina at any value untenable,” three former senior Bangladeshi navy officers mentioned. Reuters.
“There was a variety of unrest among the many troops,” mentioned retired Brigadier Normal M. Sakhawat Hossain. “That’s most likely what put strain on the chief of military workers, as a result of the troops are out and they’re seeing what is going on.”
Gen Zaman, who is said to Hasina by marriage, had signalled wavering in his help for the prime minister on Saturday (August 3, 2024), when he sat on an ornate wood chair and addressed a whole bunch of uniformed officers at a city corridor assembly. The navy later made public some particulars of that dialogue.
“The overall mentioned it was obligatory to guard lives and requested his officers to be affected person,” mentioned military spokesman Mr Chowdhury.
It was the primary indication that the Bangladeshi navy wouldn’t crack down laborious on violent protests, leaving Hasina susceptible.
Amongst those that defied the curfew on Monday (5 August 2024) and took to the streets have been retired senior troopers resembling Brigadier Normal Mohammad Shahedul Anam Khan.
“The military didn’t cease us,” mentioned Khan, a former infantryman. “The military did what it promised it will do.”
‘SHORT TERM’
On Monday (August 5, 2024), the primary full day of the indefinite nationwide curfew, Hasina was holed up contained in the Ganabhaban, or “Individuals’s Palace,” a closely guarded compound within the capital, Dhaka, that serves as her official residence.
Outdoors, on the streets of the town, crowds gathered. Tens of 1000’s of individuals had responded to the decision of protest leaders to march to overthrow the chief and had gathered within the coronary heart of the town.
With the state of affairs out of her management, the 76-year-old chief determined to flee the nation on Monday (August 5, 2024) morning, in keeping with the Indian official and two Bangladeshi nationals acquainted with the matter.
“Hasina and her sister, who lives in London however was in Dhaka on the time, mentioned the matter and flew collectively,” in keeping with a Bangladeshi supply. They left for India round lunchtime native time.
Indian Exterior Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar instructed Parliament on Tuesday (6 August 2024) that New Delhi had urged “numerous political forces with whom we have been in contact” to resolve the state of affairs by dialogue all through July.
However when crowds gathered in Dhaka on Monday (Aug 5, 2024) ignoring the curfew, Hasina determined to step down “after a gathering with the leaders of the safety institution,” it added. “At very quick discover, she sought approval to come back to India in the meanwhile.” A second Indian official mentioned Hasina was “diplomatically” instructed that her keep needed to be non permanent for concern of adversely affecting Delhi’s ties with the subsequent authorities in Dhaka. India’s international ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who protesting college students wish to lead the interim authorities after Hasina’s ouster, mentioned The New Indian Specific newspaper that India had “good relations with the improper individuals… Please evaluate your international coverage.”
Yunus was not instantly out there for an interview.
Late on Monday night (August 5, 2024), a Bangladesh Air Pressure C130 transport airplane landed at Hindon airbase exterior Delhi with Hasina on board. “There, she was obtained by Ajit Doval, India’s highly effective nationwide safety adviser,” in keeping with the Indian safety official.
Delhi had fought to separate Bangladesh from East Pakistan in 1971. After Hasina’s father was assassinated in 1975, Hasina took refuge in India for years and constructed deep ties together with her neighbor’s political elite.
In 1996, when she returned to Bangladesh, she was seen as extra delicate to India’s safety considerations than her political rivals. The Hindu-majority nation additionally considered her secular stance as beneficial to Bangladesh’s 13 million Hindus.
However in Bangladesh, even amongst retired troopers, there was nonetheless resentment that Hasina had been allowed to go.
“Personally, I believe he shouldn’t have been given protected passage,” mentioned Khan, the veteran. “That was insanity.”