Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman on Monday held separate meetings with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and President Mohammed Shahabuddin, amid rising concerns over law and order ahead of elections. The army termed the talks “courtesy calls,” but officials confirmed Gen Zaman also briefed leaders on his recent China visit.
The Chief Adviser’s Office said Yunus thanked the military for “ongoing support in maintaining law and order,” stressing the need for a “well-defined command structure and better coordination among all forces” in the run-up to polls.
General Zaman assured “full cooperation with the interim government,” pledging the army’s commitment to government programs. He was accompanied by senior military officials during visits to Yunus’s Jamuna residence and the Bangabhaban presidential palace.
The meetings came days after the army cracked down on a political group linked to last year’s student-led movement that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government— a move sharply criticised by Yunus’ administration and opposition parties.
While the army defended its actions in line with the government’s “zero tolerance” policy against “mob violence,” Dhaka condemned what it called the “brutal attack” on Nurul Haque Nur, chief of Gano Odhikar Parishad. The government has promised a “thorough and impartial investigation,” vowing accountability “irrespective of influence or position.”
General Zaman had also met Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed a day earlier.