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By Dr. Shahed Kalam -September 24, 2024
We rarely get the privilege of looking at or hear much about the personality of the Chief of Army Staff of a country like Bangladesh.
Pivotal role
However, given the pivotal role General Waker-uz-Zaman played in the changeover of Hasina’s autocratic rule and transition to a caretaker government, he did stand out quite visibly in the Bangladesh’s recent chaotic and yet dramatic political landscape.
General Waker ably led the Bangladesh military during the most critical national crisis. In Bangladesh, the Chief of the Army in Bangladesh is the highest-ranking office among the three services. He commands a large force of nearly 160,000 and oversees its administrative, operational, and organizational needs. The President of Bangladesh serves as the titular Commander-in-Chief. The Ministry of Defence does not exercise operational or policy authority over the Armed Forces. In his day-to-day functioning, the Army Chief is supposed to receive guidance from the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the president of the country. The head of the government Sheikh Hasina closely monitored all activities of the Army Chief.
General Waker has been the current Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army since his appointment on 23 June 2024. Before Waker was appointed as the Chief, he served as the Chief of General Staff of the Bangladesh Army. Previously, he served as the 15th Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division. Just over a month after he became the Army Chief, he was caught amid a wave of the non-cooperation movement against Hasina and her killing spree. When it was time to make a decisive move about the role of the military in the midst of a mass uprising, General Waker, a close relation of the deposed Prime Minister made the bold move to take the side of uprising and facilitated and announced the resignation of Sheikh Hasina to the nation and organized her escape to India on August 5, 2024.
Captain Mustafizur Rahman, a freedom fighter of 1971war was married to the first cousin of Shiekh Mujibur Rahman. Later, General Mustafiz became the Chief of Army Staff. Their daughter, Begum Sarahnaz Kamalika Rahman, was married to Waker-uz-Zaman, who is the present Chief of the Army.
Events leading to August 5, 2024, were unique and transformative. Indeed since Bangladesh’s birth in 1971, no Army Chief had ever faced the challenges of the nature that General Waker had faced during the early part of August this year.
An unintended hero?
Born in the ruling Awami League family, he was closely nurtured and was prepare to take on the army Chief role, one day.
His father-in-law, General Mustafiz ur Rahman, was brought back from retirement. Hasina, who was always suspicious and resentful of the military, felt comfortable working with his patronizing uncle-in-law, General Mustafiz ur Rahman. General Mustafiz’s son-in-law, Waker grew up in a guarded military environment. He was introduced to sensitive ranks within the Army Headquarters before he claimed his overdue appointment as Chief of the Army.
General Walker took over the reins of the military after not-so-charismatic Mohammad Shafiuddin went on routine retirement. As the opposition movements against his autocratic sister-in-law Sheik Hasina gained momentum, General Waker faced the greatest challenges as a professional and military leader.
As widely expected, he towed the traditional military lines and moved according to the instructions of the dictator and his patron, and not-too-distant relation, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed Prime Minister.
During the July/august 2024 student protests, two days into military operations against young students at colleges and universities, General Waker soon realized that he had no backing from the ranks and file of the military to go hard against the protesters and thus was forced to withhold his tough operational zeal. This irritated the dictator, who sent sharp warnings about the general’s failures and even threatened to remove him from his position as the Chief. There were others in the chain of command who were prepared to do what General Waker had refused. Avoiding, a complete showdown with the military, Hasina fled the country to her favorite destination India, where she had developed an intimate friendship with Indian leader, Narendra Modi.
Not a fan of democracy
General Waker’s role as military Chief is at best controversial. He was never a fan of democracy. Being socialized with the dictatorial family, as a young general, he was posted as the Military Secretary in 2013 where he oversaw the promotion and posting of military offices. He posted officers to the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), now tainted with gross human rights abuses. To claim that he did not have any knowledge of the torture cells within the cantonment is hardly reassuring. He was a strong, powerful member of the ruling hierarchy. On 30 November 2020, Waker was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and appointed Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division. This position allowed him to oversee the activities of DGFI.
There is no denying that Waker not only allowed Hasina to escape but also enabled her extended family members to leave the country. Here the safety of his extended family members was more important than the rule of law. A safe exist for all family members would be impossible without support or a nodding from General Waker. Alongside Sheikh Hasina’s extended family, several other important political personalities were also able to surreptitiously leave the country. General Waker arranged a safe sanctuary for several Awami League stalwarts in different cantonments of the country. Many of these criminal leaders were being sought out by the law-enforcement agencies. How could the Army Chief allow them to stay in the safety of the military cantonments and then allow them to go into hiding? The move would be deemed a gross violation of the rule of law.
The country remains in the dark about the activities of the DGFI and the extent to which it was involved in killing, torture, and disappearance. The main architect of this heinous scheme, General Tarique Siddiqui, who is also a relation of General Waker remained in his Dhaka Cantonment residence up until August 6, 2024. General Waker did not attempt to track down General Tariq, who escaped to the UK from his official residence inside the cantonment. The intractability of General Tariq’s hasty escape and the frustration and disillusionment of the public remain pervasive. General Waker’s relative silence on these failings tends to undermine the political and ideological underpinnings of the student-led revolution and the accompanying setbacks that gripped the nation.
These are some of the vexing questions that will haunt General Waker’s leadership. This is not designed to depreciate the ideational contours of a General who was bold and decisive and succeeded in avoiding a bloody standoff with the murderous regime. For all his contributions, he is regarded as a military hero who avoided a mayhem and a bloodbath and ferried Hasina to her safe pasture in a neighboring country. These may have boosted his military stature, but ambiguities, failings, and missteps of the current Chief and other senior military leaders will inevitably linger on for conscious, and watchful spectators. Notwithstanding his decent and amiable personality and nationwide popularity, the enigmatic General will have to encounter the historic contretemps – hard, penetrative questions about his military leadership during the period of national crisis.
We rarely get the privilege of looking at or hear much about the personality of the Chief of Army Staff of a country like Bangladesh.
Pivotal role
However, given the pivotal role General Waker-uz-Zaman played in the changeover of Hasina’s autocratic rule and transition to a caretaker government, he did stand out quite visibly in the Bangladesh’s recent chaotic and yet dramatic political landscape.
General Waker ably led the Bangladesh military during the most critical national crisis. In Bangladesh, the Chief of the Army in Bangladesh is the highest-ranking office among the three services. He commands a large force of nearly 160,000 and oversees its administrative, operational, and organizational needs. The President of Bangladesh serves as the titular Commander-in-Chief. The Ministry of Defence does not exercise operational or policy authority over the Armed Forces. In his day-to-day functioning, the Army Chief is supposed to receive guidance from the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the president of the country. The head of the government Sheikh Hasina closely monitored all activities of the Army Chief.
General Waker has been the current Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army since his appointment on 23 June 2024. Before Waker was appointed as the Chief, he served as the Chief of General Staff of the Bangladesh Army. Previously, he served as the 15th Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division. Just over a month after he became the Army Chief, he was caught amid a wave of the non-cooperation movement against Hasina and her killing spree. When it was time to make a decisive move about the role of the military in the midst of a mass uprising, General Waker, a close relation of the deposed Prime Minister made the bold move to take the side of uprising and facilitated and announced the resignation of Sheikh Hasina to the nation and organized her escape to India on August 5, 2024.
Captain Mustafizur Rahman, a freedom fighter of 1971war was married to the first cousin of Shiekh Mujibur Rahman. Later, General Mustafiz became the Chief of Army Staff. Their daughter, Begum Sarahnaz Kamalika Rahman, was married to Waker-uz-Zaman, who is the present Chief of the Army.
Events leading to August 5, 2024, were unique and transformative. Indeed since Bangladesh’s birth in 1971, no Army Chief had ever faced the challenges of the nature that General Waker had faced during the early part of August this year.
An unintended hero?
Born in the ruling Awami League family, he was closely nurtured and was prepare to take on the army Chief role, one day.
His father-in-law, General Mustafiz ur Rahman, was brought back from retirement. Hasina, who was always suspicious and resentful of the military, felt comfortable working with his patronizing uncle-in-law, General Mustafiz ur Rahman. General Mustafiz’s son-in-law, Waker grew up in a guarded military environment. He was introduced to sensitive ranks within the Army Headquarters before he claimed his overdue appointment as Chief of the Army.
General Walker took over the reins of the military after not-so-charismatic Mohammad Shafiuddin went on routine retirement. As the opposition movements against his autocratic sister-in-law Sheik Hasina gained momentum, General Waker faced the greatest challenges as a professional and military leader.
As widely expected, he towed the traditional military lines and moved according to the instructions of the dictator and his patron, and not-too-distant relation, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed Prime Minister.
During the July/august 2024 student protests, two days into military operations against young students at colleges and universities, General Waker soon realized that he had no backing from the ranks and file of the military to go hard against the protesters and thus was forced to withhold his tough operational zeal. This irritated the dictator, who sent sharp warnings about the general’s failures and even threatened to remove him from his position as the Chief. There were others in the chain of command who were prepared to do what General Waker had refused. Avoiding, a complete showdown with the military, Hasina fled the country to her favorite destination India, where she had developed an intimate friendship with Indian leader, Narendra Modi.
Not a fan of democracy
General Waker’s role as military Chief is at best controversial. He was never a fan of democracy. Being socialized with the dictatorial family, as a young general, he was posted as the Military Secretary in 2013 where he oversaw the promotion and posting of military offices. He posted officers to the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), now tainted with gross human rights abuses. To claim that he did not have any knowledge of the torture cells within the cantonment is hardly reassuring. He was a strong, powerful member of the ruling hierarchy. On 30 November 2020, Waker was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and appointed Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division. This position allowed him to oversee the activities of DGFI.
There is no denying that Waker not only allowed Hasina to escape but also enabled her extended family members to leave the country. Here the safety of his extended family members was more important than the rule of law. A safe exist for all family members would be impossible without support or a nodding from General Waker. Alongside Sheikh Hasina’s extended family, several other important political personalities were also able to surreptitiously leave the country. General Waker arranged a safe sanctuary for several Awami League stalwarts in different cantonments of the country. Many of these criminal leaders were being sought out by the law-enforcement agencies. How could the Army Chief allow them to stay in the safety of the military cantonments and then allow them to go into hiding? The move would be deemed a gross violation of the rule of law.
The country remains in the dark about the activities of the DGFI and the extent to which it was involved in killing, torture, and disappearance. The main architect of this heinous scheme, General Tarique Siddiqui, who is also a relation of General Waker remained in his Dhaka Cantonment residence up until August 6, 2024. General Waker did not attempt to track down General Tariq, who escaped to the UK from his official residence inside the cantonment. The intractability of General Tariq’s hasty escape and the frustration and disillusionment of the public remain pervasive. General Waker’s relative silence on these failings tends to undermine the political and ideological underpinnings of the student-led revolution and the accompanying setbacks that gripped the nation.
These are some of the vexing questions that will haunt General Waker’s leadership. This is not designed to depreciate the ideational contours of a General who was bold and decisive and succeeded in avoiding a bloody standoff with the murderous regime. For all his contributions, he is regarded as a military hero who avoided a mayhem and a bloodbath and ferried Hasina to her safe pasture in a neighboring country. These may have boosted his military stature, but ambiguities, failings, and missteps of the current Chief and other senior military leaders will inevitably linger on for conscious, and watchful spectators. Notwithstanding his decent and amiable personality and nationwide popularity, the enigmatic General will have to encounter the historic contretemps – hard, penetrative questions about his military leadership during the period of national crisis.
