Plotters kept Bangla army brass in the loop on govt overthrow?
Sunday, 22 January 2012 02:21
NEW DELHI: The failed military coup in Bangladesh may have been more serious than what has emerged in public, with sources here saying senior officers in the army knew of the coup plan.
At least some senior officers, including a major general, were aware of the coup plotted by a group of junior serving and retired officers, all of them linked to the hardline Hizb-ut-Tahrir, to overthrow PM Sheikh Hasina's regime, they said.
Senior Indian intelligence officers said their information showed that junior officers who were plotting the coup regularly informed several of their seniors. It was one of those senior officers who alerted the authorities, sources said. However, indications are that many other senior officers were regularly briefed about the progress of the coup planning, and kept the information to themselves. Among those who was regularly briefed and kept the secret was a serving major general, sources said.When asked if the coup would have been successful if they went ahead, a senior official said, "In a small country, you only need to target the prime minister and a handful of key personalities."
Indian officials said the latest coup attempt is both a warning of the fragility of Bangladesh's democracy and possible Islamisation that is creeping into the army ranks. Any coup would have completely wrecked the growing bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh.
Dhaka on Thursday made public what it called a failed coup attempt and arrested two retired officers, Lt-Col Ehsan Yusuf and Major Zakir. The Bangladesh army said 14-16 officers were under surveillance for their possible role in the coup attempt.
On Friday, the Rapid Action Battalion, Bangladesh's counter-terrorism force, arrested five members of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir including Major Ziaul Haq for their links to the failed coup. In fact, Major Haq, a serving army officer, is believed to be a key part of the conspiracy. It was Haq who contacted the senior officer, who in turn alerted the authorities. This is the latest in a series of rebellions and coups that have ravaged Bangladesh's democracy.