The Army Headquarters has responded to the recent Facebook post by Hasnat Abdullah, the Chief Organizer of the National Citizen Party, regarding the alleged pressure from the military to form a 'Refined Awami League.'
The response was published in a report by Sweden-based Netra News.
On Saturday, this report was released, quoting the Army Headquarters as calling Hasnat Abdullah's post "complete political stunt" and "nothing more."
On Friday, Hasnat Abdullah posted on Facebook, claiming that a new conspiracy to form a "Refined Awami League" was being orchestrated by India. He mentioned that a plan was being set up with leaders like Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Shirin Sharmin, and Taposh. He claimed that on March 11, at 2:30pm, he and two others were presented with this plan by military officials at the cantonment. Hasnat said they were offered a seat-sharing arrangement in exchange for agreeing to this plan, with multiple political parties already reportedly agreeing to rehabilitate the Awami League under certain conditions.
In response to the post, the Army Headquarters issued a statement acknowledging that the meeting took place with Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman on March 11. However, the Army denied any involvement in pressuring Hasnat Abdullah or others to discuss the rehabilitation of the Awami League. Instead, the Army clarified that the meeting took place at the initiative of Hasnat Abdullah and his colleague Sarjis Alam, who had expressed interest in meeting with the Army leadership.
The Army Headquarters described Hasnat Abdullah's post as a "complete political stunt" and referred to his claims as "extremely ridiculous and immature."
The report also mentioned that Hasnat Abdullah played an important role in the student protests during the 2018 movement for the restoration of the quota system in government jobs. After the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August, several student leaders from the movement assumed roles in the new interim government formed after her fall. Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, both key members of the National Citizen Party, have been appointed as regional coordinators of the party.
In response to the media's inquiries during a press conference held by the National Citizen Party following Hasnat Abdullah's post, a reporter asked him if the meeting he mentioned took place with Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman. Hasnat Abdullah refused to provide a direct answer.
Hasnat also avoided answering directly when asked about who initiated the meeting, stating that discussions about the military's jurisdiction and law and order situation were the reasons they were called.
In a statement to Netra News, the Army Headquarters confirmed that the meeting took place with the Army Chief, but emphasized that the meeting was initiated by Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, who had long expressed interest in meeting the Army leadership. The Army clarified that the meeting occurred after Sarjis Alam called the Army Chief’s military advisor to arrange the meeting. On March 11, the two leaders arrived at the Army headquarters and waited for the Army Chief. After his office hours, General Waker-uz-Zaman met them in the Army Building.
While Netra News could not independently verify the specifics of the discussion during the meeting, a senior official from a special unit of the Army confirmed that the meeting was at the students' request and initiative.
The report also noted that in Bangladesh’s political history, the military has often had a role in political shifts, and its influence in both politics and civil matters remains noticeable. Despite repeated denials of any potential military intervention in politics from General Waker-uz-Zaman, the growing discomfort among political parties regarding the Army’s stance cannot be easily dismissed.
When contacted by Prothom Alo regarding the report, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Department stated that they were unaware of the details of the matter.
