Who is Bangladesh’s Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman at loggerheads with Yunus?

Bangladesh is once again on the brink of a political upheaval. Tensions have been reported between the interim government leader, Professor Mohammed Yunus, and Bangladesh’s Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman over holding the general elections in the South Asian country.

There are also speculations that Yunus could offer his resignation. The Nobel laureate formed the interim government after the then Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country in the wake of widespread anti-government protests last August.

The recent developments have thrown Bangladesh’s army chief into the limelight. Who is Waker-uz-Zaman?

Let’s take a closer look.

Meet Waker-uz-Zaman

Born in Dhaka in 1966, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman has served nearly four decades in the military.

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A graduate of the Bangladesh Military Academy, he earned a Master’s degree in Defence Studies from the National University of Bangladesh and completed a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King’s College, London.

He joined the infantry in 1985 and subsequently rose through the ranks to command Bangladesh’s Infantry Battalion, as per The Hindu report.

Zaman has served as an instructor at the School of Infantry and Tactics, Non-commissioned Officers’ Academy and the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training.

He was also part of the UN peacekeeping affairs of the Bangladesh Army.

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Zaman also has experience as Military Secretary in the Army Headquarters and Principal Staff Officer at the Armed Forces Division under Prime Minister Hasina.

As the principal staff officer, he played a big role in national defence strategies and international peacekeeping. Zaman’s contributions to modernising the army earned him the Army Medal of Glory (SGP) and the Extraordinary Service Medal (OSP), reported Indian Express. 

When India warned Hasina about Zaman

General Zaman took over the post of Bangladesh’s Army chief in June 2024, succeeding General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed.

However, before his appointment, Indian intelligence agencies had warned Dhaka against him. Top sources in Hasina’s Awami League told News18 that a senior Indian government official had contacted the then Bangladesh PM against Zaman’s appointment, believing that the incoming army chief may be “pro-Pakistan”.

Hasina listened and thanked the official for their concern, but did not stop Zaman’s appointment.

“The objection was on two counts. One, on technical grounds as Zaman wasn’t in his best health then. Two better candidates were overlooked, New Delhi had pointed out. The second point was strategic as Zaman was pro-Pakistan. However, it seems Waker-Uz-Zaman finally got the post because he was related to Sheikh Hasina," Bangladeshi journalist Shahidul Hasan Khokon told News18.

Zaman is married to academic Sarahnaz Kamalika Zaman, the eldest daughter of late General Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman. Sarahnaz’s father was the Army chief in the late 1990s, during Hasina’s first prime ministerial stint. General Rahman was married to a cousin of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This makes General Zaman a distant relative of Hasina.

Hasina’s downfall puts focus on Zaman

As Hasina’s government fell last August due to student-led anti-government protests, General Zaman announced the formation of an interim government.

Confirming Hasina’s resignation, he said: “I’m taking all responsibility (of the country). Please cooperate.”

Dressed in his military uniform, Zaman was on state television, telling the public, “We will establish an interim government. Our country has endured significant suffering — the economy is in turmoil, and many lives have been lost. It is crucial to end the violence. I hope my address today will contribute to restoring stability.”

After the Hasina government’s downfall, the Army took over responsibility for law and order in the country.

Is there rift between Zaman and Yunus?

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus was named chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government on August 6, 2024, a day after Hasina fled the country and came to India.

In an interview with Prothom Alo in December, General Zaman announced support for the interim government. However, he also condemned the authorities for failing to rebuild the policing structure.

“At the end of the day, it is my soldiers who have to take to the field. They have been five months in the field now,” he said.

Zaman’s meeting with former PM Khaleda Zia at her residence in January gave rise to speculations about the Bangladesh Army chief’s next move.

Now, the friction between Zaman and Yunus is out in the open. The interim government has indicated it cannot hold elections by December. This was part of the discussions led by Yunus of the council of advisers late Thursday (May 22), as per The Hindu report.

This came a day after Zaman held a closed-door meeting with Commanding Officers where he expressed displeasure with the functioning of the interim government and said, “Elections must be held by December and that only an elected government should determine the nation’s course and not an unelected administration”.

There are reports that Yunus is threatening to resign. If he steps down, would Zaman come forward and take direct control of Bangladesh? Only time will tell.

With inputs from agencies