The Psychological Battle Between Two Chiefs: Who Won, Who Lost?

Opinion

The mediation by US Chargé d’Affaires in Bangladesh, Tracy Ann Jacobson, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and undisclosed special individuals’ “cool threat” resulted in a win-win situation for both sides—finally concluding the war of words. Interim Chief Muhammad Yunus versus Army Chief General Waqar-Uz-Zaman—both sides emerged victorious, or perhaps neither was defeated.

In his lengthy speech and Q&A session on the 21st, General Waqar’s decisions, warnings, and announcements contained nothing particularly new. Apart from the corridor issue, most of what he said today had already been mentioned in his speech at the Raw Club last February. There is little to analyze in detail from today’s “durbar.” The key points from his warnings are:

1. [The current government does not have the authority to make sensitive and risky decisions like the humanitarian corridor. Only an elected political government can make such decisions following proper procedures. The government is not clarifying its stance on the corridor or whether it is pushing the nation toward a proxy war. In response to an officer’s question later, he explicitly stated, “There will be no corridor.”]
– Is this the first time he has noticed that the government is not consulting the army on any issue, let alone the corridor? There is no evidence that Muhammad Yunus has informed the army chief before implementing countless illegal and anti-state decisions.

2. [He mentioned that the UN report prepared for July-August did not include the army’s input. He further stated that when he contacted the UN, he learned that while the UN wanted to communicate with the army, the current government did not allow it.]
– Is this new? The government has been doing this from the beginning. The army chief did not strongly oppose it back then. “The current government did not allow the UN to communicate with the army”—isn’t this a severe case of government high-handedness?

3. [He expressed frustration that neither the public nor he and the army are aware of how the government is making decisions on critical national issues, including reforms. Later, in response to a question, he mentioned that he has repeatedly urged the government for necessary reforms since day one, but the government is not genuinely serious about such reforms.]
– Raising this complaint after nine months makes no sense. From the very beginning, when the constitution amendment committee was formed by appointing Shahdin Malik, only to later dissolve it and appoint Dr. Ali Riaz as the committee head, shouldn’t the army chief have opposed it then? He didn’t. Yet, he and His Excellency the President are now the guardians of the constitution.

4. [He revealed that during a meeting on the night of May 20, 2025, the government questioned him about whether any secret meeting had taken place at the army headquarters the previous night. In response, he stated that the army chief can convene meetings at any time as part of his duties, and the constitutional authority granted to him eliminates any need for conspiratorial meetings.]
– Why bring this up after nine months? Didn’t the army chief know from day one, when he saluted and received the PM with protocol at the airport to install him in power, that his own position was constitutional? That he couldn’t be removed at will? Yet, the public saw the interim government’s mob force threatening to remove the army chief multiple times, hurling abuses, and even threatening to demolish cantonments. Did he ever demand accountability from the chief advisor?

The authority that only His Excellency the President holds is being flaunted by unruly mobs! Did he not know who was behind this? Under whose patronage are these unethical and illegal displays of power taking place?

5. [He stated that the current government has no authority to make decisions regarding the Chittagong seaport. He also pointed out that garment factories are shutting down one after another, yet the government remains indifferent.]
– Why only Chittagong port? The interim government chief has made countless controversial decisions and implemented them. His unleashed mob force and the newly formed NCP are abusing power indiscriminately. He has watched silently. Even when a few hundred people gathered in a prohibited area, under police protection, effectively banning the Awami League, and the Election Commission canceled the party’s registration without a hearing—did he not know? It is rumored that he advised against the ban, but his advice was rejected.

6. [Regarding the “Comrade Platform,” an officer proposed informing the nation about the crimes of army personnel dismissed from service through ISPR. In response, he said, “The Almighty Allah has instructed us to conceal others’ faults, which is why no such steps have been taken so far. However, if this exceeds tolerable limits, such measures may be considered.”]
– When the army chief, who repeatedly refers to themselves as a “professional patriotic force,” says, “The Almighty Allah has instructed us to conceal others’ faults,” then neither the law, military code, nor the constitution holds any weight. If courts start giving such verdicts, what would become of the justice system? If a witness in a murder case says, “The Almighty Allah has instructed us to conceal others’ faults,” how will the court deliver justice?

7. [The army will no longer tolerate the chaos on the streets. Violence in the name of protests will not be tolerated.]
– This final statement highlights another stark truth: So-called protests, demands, mob violence, mob justice, mob lynching, attacks on opponents, their trials, and verdict announcements have been happening since August 5, ’24. Sometimes subdued, sometimes escalating. Yet, the army, vested with magisterial powers, is responsible for maintaining law and order on the streets!

Why didn’t the army chief’s “will not be tolerated” warning come nine months ago? For the past nine months, this lawlessness has been rampant. His forces haven’t lifted a finger against these illegal mobs. Despite enduring extreme insults, they have smiled and pacified them.

Day after day, a handful of people threaten the police and the army to arrest someone simply for having a photo with the former government leader on their phone. Criticizing the government even slightly gets officials fired. Newspaper offices are besieged. Journalists are jailed on murder charges. Teachers are humiliated with garlands of shoes. Factories are burned down, killing hundreds of workers, under the pretext of links to the previous government. Nearly 200,000 workers are unemployed. Mullahs issue illegal fatwas, hurling obscenities at women. All liberation war memorials, murals, and sculptures have been destroyed…

And now, the army chief, who has taken the nation’s responsibility on his shoulders, says, “Will not be tolerated anymore”!

The economy, industries, production, and exports are collapsing. Factories are shutting down, unable to compete in the global market. Without consulting political parties or the army, the government chief is handing over territory to superpowers. Their marines roam freely in Cox’s Bazar. There’s uproar over India’s “Seven Sisters,” the Rakhine corridor, handing over Chittagong port management to foreigners—everything that leads a nation to fail is being done with utter indifference and arrogance.

In this critical time, the net result of the army chief’s cautionary speech is this: Through the mediation of US Chargé d’Affaires Tracy Ann Jacobson, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and undisclosed special individuals’ “cool threat,” Dr. Yunus has “purchased” another seven months in power.

Will there even be elections in December? Will they be inclusive? Will Dr. Yunus and his beneficiaries relinquish power? Will reforms flood the country? Will foreign passport-holders exploit the chaos? These statements offer no hope because those in power lack the strength to oppose US interests. And the people? Their only plea now is: “We don’t want alms—just keep the dogs at bay.”

-Manzurul Haque
Senior Journalist & Political Analyst