16 Officers Being Probed, 2 Former Armymen Held
New Delhi:In what sent shockwaves in both Bangladesh and the Indian security establishment, the army in India’s important neighbouring state claimed to have foiled an attempt by some of its officers, apparently driven by religious
considerations, to overthrow Sheikh Hasina’s government. Government sources here confirmed that those held for the attempted coup were “anti-India’’ and wanted to undo the changes effected by the Hasina government last year in the Constitution to make it more secular.
Indian agencies have had inputs about a possible coup in Bangladesh for the past few days.
According to agency reports from Bangladesh, while two retired officers identified as Lt Col Ehsan Yusuf and Major Zakir have been arrested, some of the main conspirators are believed to be based abroad. They are said to have links with the 2009 mutiny, only two months after Hasina took over, by Bangladesh Rifles which first exposed the stray extremist elements in the army.
Brig Gen Muhammed Masud Razzaq told a press conference in Dhaka on Thursday that the military had specific evidence that up to 16 current and former Bangladeshi officers were involved in the conspiracy, said an AP report.
GROWING BONHOMIE
Landmark agreement signed by India and Bangladesh last year paved the way for complete demarcation of land boundary and resolved the vexed issue of enclaves
More trade and investment, with India too being more generous with tariffs
PM Sheikh Hasina has expressed readiness to set up power plants in India’s north-east and boost trade with India, Nepal and Bhutan
Go-ahead for India to use Chittagong and Mongla sea ports to improve “all types of communication facilities”
BSF handed over list of 46 Indian insurgent camps in Bangladesh to Dhaka and security agencies say
Bangladesh has been positive in addressing India’s security concerns
Teesta deal remains sore point, after it was scuttled by West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee last year ahead of PM’s trip Islamist link to Bangla coup plot?
New Delhi: The foiled coup bid in Bangladesh which came to light on Thursday is worrying for India as it has again brought to light simmering discontent among the Islamists against the friendly Sheikh Hasina government. India not only managed to sign a landmark agreement for complete demarcation of the land boundary last year but, under Hasina, Dhaka has also tried to ensure that its territory is not used to carry out terror strikes against New Delhi.
“Stringent legal measures will be taken against persons involved in the conspiracy after proper investigations,” Brig Gen Muhammed Masud Razzaq told a press conference in Dhaka on Thursday. “Banking on the army in the past, different evil forces availed political gains and made abortive attempts to do so but as an institution, military still has to bear the stigma,” he added.
Razzak told reporters that “some unruly and derailed military officers have been actively engaged in the execution of the heinous conspiracy through maintaining contacts with fugitive Maj Zia (Syed Mohammad Ziaul Huq) by mobile phones and internet”. He said the initial investigations found non-resident Bangladeshis’ (NRB) link to the plot while at least one of the officers, the fugitive major, was linked to banned Islamist group Hizbut Tahrir. Brigadier Razzak said that 14 to 16 officers were under vigil as investigations were underway on the suspected involvement while the detained two former officers “bluntly admitted their role in the plot”.
Hasina had banned Islamic militant groups after ta king office in 2009 and has warned in recent speeches that such groups are “conspiring against her elected government. Bangladesh, a parliamentary democracy since 1990, has witnessed two presidents slain in military coups and 19 other failed coup attempts.
Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in the country’s first military coup in 1975.
BLOODY HISTORY Bangladesh has faced several military coups since its independence from Pakistan in 1971
1975
Aug 15 | Army officers stage coup, assassinate president and founding father of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his entire family (daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana escape as they were out of country), several ministers and leaders of the ruling Awami League
Nov 3 | Govt set up by the rebels is overthrown by an army brigadier. Army chief Major General Ziaur Rahman is put under house arrest
Nov 7 | An army revolt frees Rahman
1981 | On May 30, Ziaur Rahman is assassinated by a group of army officers along with six bodyguards and two aides. Ziaur Rahman’s killing is a central part of a botched military coup attempt
1982 | Lieutenant General Ershad comes to power in a bloodless coup on March 24
No comments:
Post a Comment