DHAKA/NEW DELHI: According to two serving army officers with knowledge of the discussions, the night before long-time leader Sheikh Hasina abruptly left Bangladesh amid deadly protests, her army chief met with his generals and decided that troops would not use force against civilians to enforce a curfew.
According to an Indian official briefed on the situation, Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman subsequently contacted Hasina's office and informed the prime minister that his forces would not be able to carry out the lockdown she had requested. The officer stated that the message was clear: the army no longer supported Hasina. Not much has been released about the online meeting between top military brass and the notification to Hasina that she had lost their support. They contribute to the explanation of how Hasina's 15-year reign, during which she tolerated minimal opposition, ended so abruptly and chaotically on Monday when she fled Bangladesh for India.
The curfew was implemented nationally after riots across the country on Sunday resulted in at least 91 deaths and hundreds of injuries, making it the worst day since student-led protests against Hasina started in July. The conversations on Sunday night were verified by Army spokesman Lt. Col. Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury, who characterized them as a routine gathering to gather reports following any disruption. In response to further inquiries concerning the decision-making process during that particular meeting, he remained silent.
Sajeeb Wazed, Hasina's son and advisor, did not reply to repeated demands for comment, nor could Hasina be reached. To piece together the last 48 hours of Hasina's rule, Reuters spoke with ten people who were aware of the events of the previous week, including two other knowledgeable sources in Bangladesh and four active army officers. Given the delicate nature of the subject, many of them only talked under the condition of anonymity.
After detaining hundreds of opposition leaders and workers, Hasina—who has ruled Bangladesh for 20 of the past 30 years—was elected to a fourth term as the head of state in January. Bangladesh is home to 170 million people. Her principal opponents abstained from the election. Since the summer, demonstrations against her tight grip on power have been sparked by a court decision to reserve government jobs—which are highly sought after given the high rate of youth unemployment—for specific demographic groups.
Even though the ruling was overturned, Hasina's removal movement swiftly emerged from the protests. Zaman has not given a public explanation for his choice to stop backing Hasina. However, three former senior Bangladesh army officers told Reuters that it was impossible to back Hasina at all given the size of the protests and the at least 241 deaths.
The troops were very uneasy, according to former Brig. Gen. M. Sakhawat Hossain. "That is what probably (put) pressure on the chief of army staff because the troops are out and they are seeing what is happening."
When the prime minister spoke to hundreds of uniformed policemen in a town hall meeting on Saturday while seated in an elaborate wooden chair, Zaman—who is connected to Hasina through marriage—had appeared to be faltering in his backing of the PM. Afterward, the military released certain information about that conversation.
According to army spokesman Chowdhury, the general ordered his officers to have patience and stated that lives had to be saved. It was the first sign that Hasina would be exposed if the army of Bangladesh did not use force to put an end to the violent protests.
Prominent retired military personnel, including Brig. Gen. Mohammad Shahedul Anam Khan was among those who disobeyed the curfew on Monday and ventured into public. "We were not stopped by the army," the ex-soldier Khan stated. "The army has done what he had promised the army would do."
Short notice
As the nation's official residence, Hasina remained shut up within the heavily guarded Ganabhaban, or "People's Palace," complex in the capital Dhaka on Monday, the first full day of the indefinite nationwide curfew. Crowds congregated outside, on the city's vast streets. Protest organizers had called for a march to remove the leader, and tens of thousands of people had poured into the city center. According to the Indian official and two Bangladeshi nationals aware of the issue, the 76-year-old leader chose to leave the nation on Monday morning as things were getting out of hand.
A Bangladeshi source said that Hasina and her sister, who is now residing in London but was in Dhaka at the time, talked things over and took a joint flight out. Around midday local time, they departed for India.
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Indian foreign minister, informed the house on Tuesday that New Delhi had encouraged "various political forces with whom we were in touch" to use discussion to settle the issue during July. However, he said, Hasina made the decision to step down "after a meeting with leaders of the security establishment" as large masses gathered in Dhaka on Monday, defying the curfew. "At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India."
According to a second Indian official, Hasina was "diplomatically" informed that her visit would only be transitory due to concerns over Delhi's relationship with the incoming Dhaka government. An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by India's Ministry of External Affairs.
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