Dhaka, New Delhi: Bangladesh’s Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, in a dramatic internal standoff, recently thwarted a covert attempt by interim government head Mohammad Yunus to provoke tensions with India along the border. The move was reportedly designed to stir nationalist sentiment and deflect growing domestic dissent against his leadership.
According to senior officials cited in an report by Swarajya Magazine, Yunus, who is facing pressure from political parties and the military and public dissatisfaction, allegedly attempted to orchestrate minor clashes with India at the border. His strategy was to stir up patriotic fervor and rally support, all while avoiding the need for elections to legitimise his rule.
The plan was reportedly drawn up with important people, including Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser Khaleelur Rahman and Lieutenant General Mohammad Faizur Rahman, an army officer with close ties to Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). It was conceived earlier this month, around the time India was conducting Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.
Citing its sources in the Dhaka cantonment, the magazine says Yunus intended for Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) to adopt an aggressive stance along the India-Bangladesh frontier – hoping to provoke a reaction from India’s Border Security Force (BSF). The scheme even involved deploying army units near the border to reinforce BGB presence and raise the stakes.
However, the plan unraveled quickly when General Zaman got wind of it. He reportedly reprimanded the BGB director general for attempting to escalate tensions and demanded an explanation. The BGB official allegedly pointed to verbal instructions received directly from Yunus’s residence and office in Jamuna.
Alarmed by the potential fallout, the army chief convened a high-level meeting with the country’s top defence leadership, including the Chief of General Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mahmud Khan and Admiral Nazmul Hasan. The entire brass unanimously opposed the idea and called it reckless and dangerous.
Zaman then sent a message to Yunus and his National Security Advisor that provoking a confrontation with India was unacceptable and could destabilise the region. He refused to deploy any troops to the border or allow the BGB to pursue aggressive posturing. Confronted with this resistance, Yunus backed off and quietly shelved the plan.
The incident has laid bare the growing tensions within Bangladesh’s interim leadership and highlighted the military’s strong stance against adventurism at a time of delicate regional balance.
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