Army refused to suppress stir, sealing Hasina’s fate

Dhaka/New Delhi, August 7

The night before long-time leader Sheikh Hasina abruptly fled Bangladesh amid deadly protests, her army chief held a meeting with his generals and decided that troops would not open fire on civilians to enforce a curfew, two serving army officers with knowledge of the discussions said.

Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman then reached out to Hasina’s office, conveying to the prime minister that his soldiers would be unable to implement the lockdown she had called for, according to an Indian official briefed on the matter.

The message was clear, the official said: Hasina no longer had the army’s support.

They help to explain how Hasina’s 15-year rule, during which she brooked little dissent, came to such a chaotic and sudden end on Monday, when she fled from Bangladesh to India.

An army spokesman confirmed the Sunday evening discussions, which he described as a regular meeting to take updates after any disturbance. He did not provide details when presented with additional questions about decision-making at that meeting. Hasina could not be reached and her son and advisor, Sajeeb Wazed, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Reuters spoke to ten people familiar with the events of the past week to piece together the final 48 hours of Hasina’s reign. — Reuters