Yunus Failed to Remove Waqar and The Three Forces Chiefs

Opinion

A kind of suppressed unrest prevails throughout the country. The media is sitting silently. The so-called investigative journalists and defense journalists have put their pens to rest with their eyes and mouths covered. People are somehow immersed in despair and despair, unable to know anything, unable to understand anything.

The statements of social media and YouTubers make it seem like there is a power struggle going on and General Waqar wanted to dismiss someone, so Yunus prevented it. But in reality, it is not like that at all, but the complete opposite has happened. Basically, the disagreement between the army chief and the chief advisor on the issue of the upcoming elections and the corridor is the reason for these rumors, propaganda and lies. General Waqar is being vilified because he is in favor of early elections and against the corridor. However, the general is on the right track, he is in favor of the country and the people. But there is an attempt to make him a villain by spreading propaganda and lies.

However, it is not that some news does not come out, but various information, misinformation and rumors are spread on social media including Facebook. For ordinary people like us, it is a difficult sacrifice like World War III to sift out authentic information from there! But that is what is happening! Following this ancient proverb, I contacted former Army General Mr. Black Box. Today’s writing is based on my conversation with him and the information I received.

I will try to create a picture of the tension in the cantonment, the strong waves in the Yamuna water, the unrest and despair among the people. It is the responsibility of the reader to decide his own perspective and position.

2.
The United States and the United Nations want a humanitarian corridor to be opened in Rakhine and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to be established in Bangladesh and the establishment of a US Military Peace Corps base to provide security for both of these.

To implement all these, it is necessary to have an unelected government like Yunus. And Yunus also wants to stay in power for a long time. They have two and four. But the problem has become the army chief. I will talk about this problem later. Before that, let’s finish talking about the corridor and other issues.

In many countries around the world where humanitarian corridors have been operated, the experience has not been good. A lot has been written about this. Here I share a link to a BBC Bangla news https://shorturl.at/VDQ0w.

In countries where the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has been established, the experience has not been pleasant at all. The host country has not benefited or been protected, but has been crushed by human rights violations and imposed policies.

And about the US Peace Corps, the website https://shorturl.at/8dd1J says – US Peace Corps Volunteers put their purpose, passion, and skills to work in partnership with host communities in more than 60 countries. That is, the US Military Peace Corps has established bases in 60 countries around the world on various issues.

Bangladesh is now in this maze. The maze is because the authorities have appointed the head of our interim government to implement all these. There is nothing new to say about the important role that America and the United Nations played in the July-August movement. Now the question is, is the chief advisor capable of implementing all these? Of course, capable, but some domestic support and sufficient time are needed. This is where the problem lies.

3.
As soon as the issue of humanitarian corridor came up, many parties including BNP and CPB reacted strongly. Even Jamaat-e-Islami demanded a detailed explanation, albeit in a soft tone. On the other hand, the parties that are at the heart of the government, including NCP, have maintained silence, meaning that they agree with the government’s decision. But the government’s support was not enough for this either. More support is needed.

There is a lot of trouble and intense tension in the cantonment over whether or not to get that support.

The chief advisor wants the military, especially the army, to provide full support in these areas. But the army chief has given a precondition on the humanitarian corridor issue. First, the Rohingyas must be taken back. Then we will decide on the corridor. How can the chief advisor or America or the UN accept this? They do not even have this ability. This is entirely an issue between the Myanmar government (junta) and the rebel Arakan Army. I think the army chief knowingly gave this condition. So that the corridor does not have to be provided. Because he knows that this condition cannot be met. But the rules are broken! The Chief Advisor is not a person who will stop. He has made a promise to his saviors!

The Chief Advisor and his kitchen cabinet took the initiative to dismiss the Army Chief. He sent a formal ‘note’ to the President through the Principal Staff Officer (PSO). In today’s era, information is no longer secret. The Army Chief found out within a moment and buried that ‘note’. What happened next was even more shameless and horrific.

The Army Chief met the Chief Advisor. The Chief Advisor said, you want to seize power, you want to remove me. In response, the Army Chief said, I have been fully supporting and cooperating with you from the beginning. There has never been a deviation. There is no question of seizing power by removing you. I am only adamant on the issue of early elections and this is my promise to the nation; I have no chance of moving away from here. I am a soldier, I am a Muslim and a man of one word. Therefore, I have no chance of conflict with you. And it is impossible for me to compromise with the promises made to the countrymen regarding the elections. My soldiers also want to return to the barracks quickly.

The chief advisor looked on and now started the real talk. He talked about the corridor. The army chief made it clear that the Rohingya will return first, then we can talk about the corridor. Because I joined the service with an oath to protect the sovereignty of the country. As a soldier, it is impossible for me to break my oath.

The army chief lowered his voice and asked in return, Sir, what will Bangladesh gain from this humanitarian corridor? In response, the chief advisor threw up his hands for a while and canvassed a number of meaningless and unnecessary issues.

While canvassing, the chief advisor said, you and I are both being looked after by the same party (America and the UN). So, you have to do some work for them. And you have contributed a lot to the downfall of Hasina before and after August 5 at their request.

This time the army chief was a little embarrassed. But he immediately said very firmly – Sir, I did not do anything at anyone’s request or on the phone and I will not do anything. I did what was right based on the opinion, wisdom of my soldiers and the reality of the country. I will not do anything outside the constitution and military regulations.

The conversation about the corridor ended here.

Then the army chief mentioned the name of a top officer to the chief advisor and explained the necessity and importance of retirement. The old head of government also agreed. For the first time, it seemed that the crisis was over.

But no. A big danger was waiting ahead.

4.
In the meeting, he got the chief advisor to grant him leave for a trip to America and additional leave to attend his daughter’s graduation ceremony. But after returning to the cantonment and discussing it in detail with the top officers and well-wishers, it was decided to cancel the trip to America. As a result, he did not go to America the next day.

The next morning after the meeting, the Army Chief sent a ‘note’ of Principal Staff Officer (PSO) SM Kamrul Hasan’s retirement to the Chief of Army Staff as per the rules. But as morning passed, afternoon and evening passed, the Chief of Army Staff did not approve, as a result, the file did not reach the President either. Instead, he leaked this information to the National Security Advisor, which quickly reached the PSO. The PSO ran to the UN Resident Representative in Dhaka, Gwen Lewis. He had provided shelter and money to the protesting student leaders during the July-August movement. This time he also helped SM Kamrul Hasan. Kamrul’s danger was over, but danger loomed over the three services.

On the instructions of the Chief of Army Staff, PSO SM Kamrul Hasan prepared a notification of the dismissal of the three service chiefs and sent it to Bangabhaban. At the same time, a list of the names of the three chiefs of the three services was also sent in the form of a notification. The news reached the cantonment with lightning speed. Meanwhile, the notification file has also entered the shader machine of Bangabhaban.

The cantonment that was excited and heated is not stopping. In the meantime, news has come out that the Foreign Secretary is being sent on compulsory retirement on the same issue. This has spread tension in all the cantonments. Officers and soldiers have united in favor of the Army Chief.

The Chief Advisor had recommended the name of Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hasan twice as the Army Chief. I could not find out the information about the names recommended by the Air Force and Navy.

5.
Why is Dr. Muhammad Yunus trying to dismiss the army chief who played a supportive role with the students in the July-August movement?
This is the most urgent and important question now. The answer to it is not very complicated.
The army chief wants to hand over power to a political government through elections in December. But Dr. Yunus does not want that. He wants to stay in power for a long time or even forever.

Dr. Yunus is ready to give everything to stay in power, including a humanitarian corridor, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a US Military Peace Corps base. And Yunus’s foreign friends also want these things. As the demand and the receipt are in line, Yunus is getting full support from America and the UN. But none of the three forces, including the army chief, agree with Yunus’s desire. Because they are uncompromising in keeping their promises to the nation.

The reality is that if General Waqar is the army chief, Yunus Saheb will have to hold elections and stop giving corridors etc. General Waqar and the chiefs of the other two forces are in the same position on the issue of democracy and sovereignty of the country.

The relevant question is – why is Yunus Gong trying to replace General Waqar with General Kamrul Hasan as the army chief? Because General Kamrul Hasan and Dr. Yunus-Khalil Gong are on the same axis. They trust and trust each other and have joined forces to conspire together in the interests of the US and the UN. On the other hand, General Waqar is giving priority to the interests of the country in this case. This is the problem.

That is why Yunus Gong has already tried to remove the chiefs of the three forces, including General Waqar, at least twice. If Yunus Gong succeeds in this initiative for the third time or later, then Bangladesh will be finished. It will become a tax state of the Americans.

The most important thing is that if General Waqar is there, democracy will come, if Dr. Yunus is there, democracy will not come. Dr. Yunus will not hold elections, Waqar is in favor of elections. If Dr. Yunus is there, he will provide all other facilities to foreigners including corridors, but Waqar does not agree with these. The difference between the two is clear here.

As a result, the situation has now become such that the chief advisor and the army chief are almost face to face. Although Dr. Yunus has a chance of safe exit, the army chief is now in a ‘do or die’ situation! Today, General Waqar is suffering because he is on the side of the country and the people. However, it is also true that people have started saying-

The countrymen are wary

Yunus is an American dupe.

The people are not afraid

We have Waqar.

Finally:

Another thing is that the army chief’s widespread reputation as a professional, honest, efficient and extremely religious person has made it impossible to dismiss him. As a result, Kamrul Hasan’s job will probably be assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a solution.

One thing is clear in the writing that Yunus Gong wanted to remove General Waqar out of greed to protect US interests and stay in power without holding elections. As a reaction to this, the issue of General Kamrul Hasan’s retirement has come to the fore. Yunus Sahib has not been successful for the time being. But in the future?

Many people must remember that on August 3, General Waqar sang a song – ‘If you cry more, I will fly to the sky’. So what will he sing this time – ‘You know how to take love, you don’t know how to give it’?

– Ali Shariati Ubach