Bangladesh: Two generals aspired for coup support from US

...[T]he RAW funded Tarique Rahman, who pledged to deliver his mother on gas exports and water sharing differences but was unable to do so. He predicted New Delhi would work hard to bring Hasina back to power in 2006.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Daily Star
By Star Online | September 6, 2011

Two former army chiefs, who would later join Awami League and BNP, had aspired to see changes in 'dynastic politics' courtesy a US-aided coup in 2004, according to leaked US diplomatic cable.

The cable, published by whistleblower website WikiLeaks on August 30 last, said the US rejected the requests.

The cable that then US ambassador to Bangladesh Harry K Thomas sent to Washington in late 2004 reported that retired Bangladesh army chief Lt. General Noorudin Khan, who was also a member of AL government's cabinet in 1996, had asked for support from the US government in ending Bangladesh's administration in 2004 and in bringing a government of national unity consisting of senior leaders from both the major parties.


Besides, another ex-chief of Bangladesh Army and standing committee member of BNP, Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, had told the US ambassador that the military would always look to the US government for a signal to go ahead with a coup.

Thomas was referring to his encounters with the two generals in quick successions on September 13 and 16 in 2004 when they had asked for such support and signal.

Ambassador Thomas dined with Noorudin on September 16, 2004 when the latter requested for US government assistance in bringing a government of national unity to power and ridding Bangladesh of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia through a series of mass agitations.

According to the cable, the ambassador told Khan that the US supports democracy and stability and cannot sanction any extra constitutional means of removing the government. The US does not support military coups, stressed Thomas.

Khan responded that Bangladesh's future is hostage to two women who cannot put aside their difference for the nation's sake. He accused the Bangladesh government of bankrupting the military.

He said the seven top generals whom he derided as the 'malevolent seven' were the prime minister's (Khaleda) brother - retired Major Eskander's classmates - and were chosen for their loyalty and not competence.

He said that the government had started the politicisation of the officers’ corps during Khaleda Zia's first term (1991-96) and that Sheikh Hasina had accelerated it (1996-2001). He recommended that General Abu Tayeb Mahammad Zaahirul Alam, commandant of the National Defense College, take charge of the country.

The cable said that General Zahir is a true supporter of democracy and would form a government with competent ministers from both parties for two to three years to improve Bangladesh's weak institutions, draft a new constitution, end corruption and to attract much needed foreign investment before holding internationally observed democratic elections.

Khan alleged further that the government fears coups even from Eskander's batchmates and had sidelined Maj Gen Rokon to the Quartermaster Corps earlier in 2004 because he was thought to be a threat to the incumbent government.

Khan, a former minister under Sheikh Hasina, resigned from the AL in early 2004 in frustration with its inability to focus on the future. He accused Hasina of losing her cards after the August 21 attack in 2004.

Instead of calling for an independent investigation and taking the moral high ground, she insisted on repeated strikes and attempted to bring the government down. She lost popular support and an unintended consequence may be that the government no longer felt compelled to solve the crime, he said.

Khan said an interim military government is the only alternative to continued dynastic politics. He said that Khaleda Zia's first son Tarique Rahman and his younger brother Arafat Rahman would terrorise the country, extort money from businesses and ruin the economy.

He also belittled the political abilities of Hasina's son and sister, asserting they were equally corrupt and venal like the Rahmans.

Khan, in part, blamed himself for the country's current predicament. He said when Bangladeshi military dictator Gen Ershad was forced out of office in 1990, then Pakistani military chief Alam Beg, an old friend and colleague, sent him an emissary urging that Khan become the President.

When Khan refused, Beg asked whom should Pakistan support. Khan recommended that Pakistan support the BNP because it consisted of military officers and small businessmen he believed would lead the country in the right direction.

Pakistan then used the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to fund the BNP and India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) began funding the Awami League. Such funding continued to this day, Khan said, adding: “We have become the playground for India and Pakistan.”

He also claimed that New Delhi was unhappy with Sheikh Hasina's performance and funded both parties during the 2001 elections.

He said that the RAW funded Tarique Rahman, who pledged to deliver his mother on gas exports and water sharing differences but was unable to do so. He predicted New Delhi would work hard to bring Hasina back to power in 2006.

According to the leaked cable, Khan said that the government is catering to the "disastrous policies" of Islamic parties in the four-party ruling coalition to ensure that it won the 2006 elections. He blamed the government's decision to ban books of the Ahmadiyya sect and not to follow-up on attacks in Sylhet on the then British High Commissioner in Bangladesh and city mayor on its need to protect the Islamists.

Earlier on September 13, 2004 Mahbubur Rahman told Ambassador Thomas that the military would always look to the US government for a signal to go ahead with a coup.

The US government had played a positive role in helping to thwart two potential coups in 1996 and a no from the US government would always carry weight, Rahman said.

While expressing disdain for Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, Rahman predicted that Bangladesh would be under dynastic leadership for at least another generation.

He said that the army viewed itself as Bangladesh's only respected organisation and did not want to interfere in civilian politics.


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