Bangladesh now stands on the precipice of a possible military coup as more and more people take to the streets in protest of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Headquarters sources originating from the capital report that the creation of an interim military government may soon happen, as the army has appeared to be backing the protestors.
The matter is sensitive now because Bangladesh’s army chief, Waker-Uz-Zaman, plans to speak to the nation on Monday.
This is following one month of protests that have turned deadly as the new wave of violence was witnessed on Sunday, in which the death toll soared to 94, including 14 police officers. The total reported death toll from the beginning of the protests has now grown to over 300.
Things have progressed from a pro-employee protest of the implementation of a new ruling on civil service jobs to calls for the Prime Minister’s removal on various charges of her government’s abuse of power and state apparatus to stifle opposition.
Latterly, some new faces have come to the protest; Army generals, including a former army chief, General Ikbal Karim Bhuiyan, have asked the government to pull back the troops off the streets to conduct the protests.
The current army chief sentenced, stating that the military “always stands by the people,” has been seen as a sign of possible support for the protestors.
The sources indicate that the army’s progression could likely be informed by the position of Bangladesh’s international partners, and Hasina may be forced to step down and offer the military an opportunity to rule for some time.
