As Army announces interim govt, a look at past military coups and interventions in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman on Monday announced that he will form an interim government after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled Dhaka in the face of overwhelming protests.

“I am taking full responsibility,” the general said, dressed in military fatigues and cap, although it was not immediately clear if he would head a caretaker government.

“We will form an interim government,” Waker said in a broadcast to the nation on state television, adding Sheikh Hasina had resigned.

He said he would talk to the president to form the interim government and had held talks with the main opposition parties and civil society members - but not Hasina’s Awami League.

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This is not the first time that Bangladesh witnesses intervention by its military leaders. The country had been under military rule from 1975 to 1990.

The 1975 coup

• In 1975, a significant coup took place in Bangladesh, resulting in the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation’s founding father, along with most of his family members.

• This coup was orchestrated by junior army officers, leading to Major General Ziaur Rahman taking power and declaring himself President.

Two mini coups

• The initial coup leaders could not sustain power for long, leading to further instability.

• On November 3, Brigadier General Khaled Mosharraf and Colonel Shafaat Jamil led another coup to remove the previous mutineers and restore order.

• This coup resulted in the killing of four national leaders in Dhaka Central Jail and the house arrest of Ziaur Rahman.

The return of Ziaur Rahman

• On November 7, another coup happened. It was led by Left-wing army personnel and politicians from the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD). It resulted in the death of Brigadier General Khaled Mosharraf.

• This coup freed Ziaur Rahman from house arrest and set him on the path to eventually becoming the president of Bangladesh.

• Ziaur Rahman ruled Bangladesh until his assassination in 1981, marking a period of military dominance in the country’s politics.

The 1982 coup

• Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad led yet another coup, seizing power in a bloodless takeover.

• Ershad declared martial law, suspended the constitution, and consolidated his control over both military and civilian structures.

• During his rule, Ershad implemented several development initiatives but also faced criticism for repression and authoritarian practices.

• His regime ended in 1990 following a popular uprising demanding the restoration of democracy.

Since the 1990s, Bangladesh has seen its political landscape dominated by the Bangladesh Awami League of Sheikh Hasina, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of her arch-rival Khaleda Zia, the widow of Ziaur Rahman.

With inputs from agencies