 "Chief advisor of Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammad Yunus (R) sits along with Bangladesh's army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman. The two have not be able to see eye to eye on many issues, including holding elections in the country. File image/AFP")
In a sensational revelation more than a year after the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the country’s former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has claimed that Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman acted as a CIA agent and orchestrated the coup that toppled Hasina’s government.
Calling the army chief the “main plotter,” Kamal accused the United States of destabilising Bangladesh, alleging that Washington does not want “too many powerful heads of state in South Asia.”
He named Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Sheikh Hasina as examples of strong leaders in the region. Kamal also reiterated Hasina’s longstanding claim that the US covets Bangladesh’s St Martin’s Island.
Soon after his explosive remarks on the “betrayal” of Sheikh Hasina surfaced, Kamal followed up with a scathing attack on Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus, calling him a “conspiratorial, egocentric character.”
The claims were made in the yet-to-be-released book Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an Unfinished Revolution, authored by Deep Halder, Jaideep Mazumdar, and Sahidul Hasan Khokon, and published by Juggernaut, News18 reported.
“It was a perfect CIA plot hatched over a long period of time to overthrow Hasina. We did not know the CIA had Waker in its pocket,” Kamal was quoted as saying in the book. “Two reasons. The first is not to have too many powerful heads of state in South Asia — Modi, Xi, Hasina. How would the CIA operate if such strong leaders rule the subcontinent? American interests are best served with weaker governments. But there was a more immediate reason — St Martin’s Island,” he added.
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More ShortsIn the same book, Hasina blamed “imposters” and “terror apologists” for the fall of her government, vowing to return to “deliver justice to her people.” She also hit out at Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, accusing him of supporting the US in a regime-change operation. Calling him a “cheat,” Hasina alleged that Yunus looted the country after taking charge and financed the student uprising that led to her government’s downfall.
Recently, Hasina confirmed that she is currently in New Delhi.
Earlier, News18 had reported that Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, in a yet-to-be-released book, described the 2024 power transition as a “perfect CIA plot,” accusing Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman — a relative of Hasina — of “backstabbing” her.
In an exclusive interview with News18, Khan Kamal went a step further, directly blaming Waker-uz-Zaman’s betrayal as “the catalyst for the entire incident.” However, he was non-committal about the United States’ role, maintaining that Washington has long supported Bangladesh’s counter-terrorism efforts.
His remarks and allegations form part of Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an Unfinished Revolution, which delves into the dramatic fall of the Hasina government and the power struggle that followed.