General Waker’s Dilemma: Questions of Authority, Accountability, and Allegiance in Post-Hasina Bangladesh

Reading Time: 4 minutes As Bangladesh navigates a historic democratic transition under the stewardship of Nobel Peace Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, deep concerns have emerged surrounding the actions of General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the current Chief of Army Staff. His unmandated political manoeuvres, unsanctioned foreign contacts, and obstruction of transitional reforms raise urgent constitutional, strategic, and ethical questions. This essay compiles the critical issues that General Waker must address to the people of Bangladesh and the international community—questions that go to the heart of military accountability, sovereignty, and the country’s democratic future. 1. Who Gave General Waker Authority to Facilitate Sheikh Hasina’s Escape to India? Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now a fugitive dictator, was facing imminent arrest for her regime’s role in overseeing the largest mass killing since Bangladesh’s independence. Her sudden escape to India—allegedly arranged by General Waker—has never been explained. Was the interim government consulted or even informed? If