Before fleeing to India former Prime Minister (dictator) Sheikh Hasina called India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the morning of 5 August 2024 and sought India’s intervention in a last ditch attempt to stay in power.
Prior to seeking New Delh’s assistance Sheikh Hasina tried to impose martial law or a state of emergency in Bangladesh but failed because top military officials, including the Chief of Army Staff General Waker-uz-Zaman rejected the proposal.
Security officials in cahoots with the Awami League regime carried Sheikh Hasina’s escape to India with great secrecy. The entire operation was coordinated with Indian security authorities on the 4th of August. The plan was supported by the then DG of SSF, Major General AKM Nazmul Hasan, and the QMG of the Bangladesh Army, Lieutenant General Mujib (now sacked).
Sheikh Hasina called President Md. Shahabuddin Chuppu at Bangabhaban on 4 August and asked him to be ready for declaring a state of emergency across the country. She ordered the Chief of Army Staff to suppress the students and general public protesters by using force. She similarly asked the Chief of the Air Force to use armed helicopters to shoot the protesters. However, none of the orders given by Sheikh Hasina were implemented by the military chiefs.
At the end the Indian backed dictator was given only 45 minutes to leave the country, in which she was to pack her suitcases. In all she had 14 suitcases with her and made sure all the suitcases were properly loaded on the plane. She was accompanied to the C-130J transport aircraft by her sister Sheikh Rehana, her security advisor Major General (retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, his spouse and a baby girl.
Sheikh Hasina spoke with Ajit Doval at least twice before fleeing Bangladesh. Doval also spoke to other Bangladeshi officials to ensure Sheikh Hasina’s security. The Chief of the Indian Army also spoke with Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army over the telephone around 11 am on the 5th of August to request the dictator’s security.
How Sheikh Hasina escaped
Sheikh Hasina and her relatives flew from Tejgaon’s Kurmitola Airport in a C-130J transport aircraft at 12.40 pm. The aircraft was piloted by Group Captain Shamim Reza and Wing Commander Golam Rasul Chowdhury.
The former Prime Minister (Hasina) initially insisted on going from Gababhaban to Kurmitola by car against security protocol. A Colonel ranked officer in the convoy informed that a big procession was ahead of them. He intended to shoot his way through the protesters, however junior officers of the SSF told him that ‘It would not be right for us to take the risk. If we fall in front of the mob, everyone may die’. As a result the convoy was diverted and taken to the Dhaka Trade Fair grounds (West side of the International Conference Centre) behind Ganabhaban. In the meantime, a Russian-made Mi-171 was called and prepared with Air Commodore Abbas and Group Captain Raihan Kabir at the helm.
The helicopter transported Sheikh Hasina and her relatives from the trade fair grounds to Kurmitola airbase by 12.30 pm. Air Vice Marshal ABM Awal, the base commander received the former Prime Minister. At the time, Wing Commander Zaki Anwar loaded Sheikh Hasina’s 14 suitcases brought with her from the Gababhaban onto the plane. At that time, Sheikh Hasina did not speak to anyone. She only checked the suitcases to see if all of them were on the plane. The DG SSF, three to four SSF officers, and a lady officer with the rank of Flight Lieutenant also boarded the plane. The C-130J took off within 10 minutes of the Prime Minister reaching Kurmitola.
At the time the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) stopped all types of aircraft from taking off or landing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).
The C-130J aircraft took off with its transponder turned off so that it could not communicate with the radar. The aircraft headed straight towards Tripura’s Agartala immediately after takeoff so that it could leave Bangladesh territory in the quickest time. While airborne, the aircraft got clearance to went towards Delhi. It landed at the Hindon airbase of the Indian Air Force at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on the outskirts of Delhi.
India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval received her at the airbase. She once again requested him to attack Dhaka.
After dropping off the former dictator the Bangladesh Air Force C-130J refueled and returned to Bangladesh with the military officials and SSF personnel.
Ajit Doval visited Dhaka several times before when Sheikh Hasina was in power. He used to go to Ganabhaban, however his arrival and departure were kept secret.
Escape plan in strict secrecy
The DG of SSF Major General AKM Nazmul Hasan and the QMG of the Bangladesh Army, Lieutenant General Mujib planned Hasina’s escape. Major General (retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique took the necessary guidelines from the Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in this regard.
Sheikh Hasina did not want to fly on any Bangladeshi aircraft. She wanted Doval to bring a plane from India to rescue her, however the Indian authorities informed her that they would not be able to send a plane to save her as doing so would create an international crisis. It was then decided Sheikh Hasina would fly in a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft, rather than a commercial jet airliner of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
It was then decided for the overall security, other flights would be closed at HSIA for a limited period until she escaped in to India. The security officials also decided to turn off all tracking features on the aircraft. In addition, internet across Bangladesh would be shut down to prevent leakage of Sheikh Hasina’s escape to India. Accordingly, the internet was shutdown from 9.30 am that day.
What happened at Ganabhaban?
The night of the 4th of August a tense situation was prevailing at the Ganabhaban. That night, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held several meetings with top security officials. She met with ministers, top party leaders, and people at various levels. The meetings were emotionally charged.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by her security advisor Major General (retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique in a meeting with the armed forces tri-services chiefs from midnight for 15 minutes. When the issue of resignation was raised in that meeting, the Prime Minister became angry and said, “Whatever happens, I will not give up power.” Sheikh Hasina repeatedly asked the Army chief to suppress the protesters.
Major General (retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique supported Sheikh Hasina and said that if the Army opened fire and killed a few people, the protests would be suppressed. He also said that the air force should fire upon the crowds with combat helicopters.
The Air Force Chief became very angry with Major General (retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and said to the Prime Minister, “This man has sunk you and will sink you further.”
At that moment, an unknown person (who the SSF members on duty do not know) entered the Ganabhaban, so Sheikh Hasina ended the meeting. The tri-services chiefs left the Ganabhaban at 12.40 am after midnight. The Inspector General of Police Abdullah Al Mamun and Air Vice Marshal (retd.) Jamaluddin were also present at the Ganabhaban that night.
At 9 am on the 5th of August, the tri-services chiefs came to the Ganabhaban again. At that time, the Inspector General of Police and Cabinet Secretary Mahbubur Rahman were also at Ganabhaban. In the meeting, the Prime Minister pointed to the Police chief and said, “They (the Police) are doing a good job. Why can’t the army?” At that time, the IG of Police said, “The situation reached such a level that it is not possible for the Police to maintain such a tough stance for much longer. Because we have no capacity to do anything else. There are no weapons or ammunition left. The force has become tired.”
Military officials advised the Prime Minister to relinquish power again. At one point, the Prime Minister got angry and said, “Then shoot me and bury me in Ganabhaban.” Military officials took Sheikh Rehena (younger sister of Sheikh Hasina) to another room to explain the gravity of the situation and requested her to convince the Prime Minister (elder sister) to resign. They also said that the time was running out. Due to the ‘Long march’ program called by the anti-discrimination students, processions were coming from all over Dhaka towards Ganabhaban. At this stage, Sheikh Rehana tried to convince the Prime Minister to quit. At one point, Rehana hugged her elder sister’s legs begging her to resign. But Sheikh Hasina was not agreeing to the request.
Later, a top military officer spoke to Joy (Sheikh Hasina’s son). Joy was told to save her life, her mother had no choice but to resign. Time was a critical factor now and a decision must be made now. Joy spoke to his mother after learning about the situation. Finally, Sheikh Hasina decided to leave power at Joy’s request. When she expressed her desire to record a speech to be broadcast on television, the military officials expressed their inability to accept the request.
At that time, they gave the Prime Minister 45 minutes to pack her bags because hundreds of thousands of protesters would reach the Ganabhaban by then. This mass tide of people was the culmination of the unimaginable movement of 36 days – the Revolution of 2024, the student-led mass uprising against the Indian backed dictator of Bangladesh.
Time was ticking for the regime’s demise
The end of the Sheikh Hasina-led regime in Dhaka was ringing ever since the Bangladesh Army chief announced that the Army would not open fire on students and the public even though the Army was deployed across the country by Sheikh Hasina to control the student uprising.
The Army chief assessed the situation by exchanging views with various corps commanders, and army officers at different levels to obtain clear feedback from the rank and file of the Bangladesh Army. A meeting was held with commanders of different formations across the country who joined the meeting virtually. At the beginning, the Army chief gave half an hour opening speech to explain why the Army was deployed in aid of the civilian administration under the government’s instructions. He told his officers “There has never been such a mass protest in our country since 1970. So we have to deal with this situation with patience”.
After the Army chief’s speech, the officers present at the meeting spoke. Although a Brigadier General and a few officers raised their hands to speak, the Army chief wanted to hear from the young officers. Six to seven officers shared their real-life experiences that day.
A female army officer from Rajshahi said in in Bengali that all mothers in the country have been touched by death and all mothers were crying. She was the neighbour of Mir Mughdo, who sacrificed his life whole distributing water to a student procession in Uttara, Dhaka. Female officer Jahan stressed the importance of the loss of children’s lives in the incident and a fair trial for it. She also expressed concern about the growing discontent with the army. The army chief agreed with her sentiment. A captain involved in the incident described how the army personnel on duty were surrounded by a mob that day and he was criticised by his family and friends.
Similarly, Lieutenant Colonel Mahbub, Commanding Officer of the 5th Air Defence Regiment, suggested that the Army personnel should return to their barracks, citing the decline in public support for the Army. Several such statements were made at the meeting.
After listening to the statements of the junior officers, the Army chief decided that the Army would not open fire on the students and public, even under any provocation. It would not resist or obstruct the student processions. During the procession, the Army members would rather move aside and make way for them.
The Army chief met with the Prime Minister and informed her of the decision of the meeting. Sheikh Hasina was angry with the Army for this decision. The meeting of retired Army officers at Retired Armed Forces Officers’ Welfare Association or RAOWA club on 4th of August was also an important event. Former Army chief Lieutenant General Nuruddin and several former army chiefs were present at that meeting. They also held a procession that day to express solidarity with the student’s movement against discrimination.
Parliamentary Speaker advice to the Prime Minister at Ganabhaban
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury met Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban on the afternoon of 4th of August to convey messages from some important leaders of the Awami League to Sheikh Hasina. She requested her to address the nation and resign. The Speaker informed an important advisor of the government about this. She also said that Sheikh Hasina had agreed to resign on her advice and the message of senior leaders. But Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and State Minister for Information Arafat, who were present at Ganabhaban at the time, strongly opposed it. At night, Obaidul Quader, Anisul Haque, Salman F. Rahman and Asaduzzaman Kamal, known as the ‘Gang of Four’, convinced Sheikh Hasina to take a tough stance. They told Hasina that there was no way to soften the approach now, no way to give in.
BTV’s broadcast truck at Ganabhaban to record speeches
The Prime Minister’S Press Wing called the DG of Bangladesh Television (BTV) to inform him that Sheikh Hasina would address the nation at 12 noon on the 5th of August. A BTV team was dispatched to the Ganabhaban on the night of the 5th of August to record the speech. On the morning of the 5th of August, BTV’s scroll also showed the Prime Minister’s speech being broadcasted soon. The ISPR however informed the BTV DG that the Army chief would address the nation at 2 pm. When the ISPR asked for a broadcast truck, the BTV DG informed that it was at Ganabhaban, and that it would be easily rerouted to the Army Headquarters. By 4 pm on that day the Army chief’s speech was broadcasted.
The President must be prepared to declare a state of emergency
Sheikh Hasina called Md. Shahabuddin Chuppu and told him that a nationwide state of emergency could be declared, and that he should be prepared. On the 5th of August, the Prime Minister’s Military Secretary called the President’s Military Secretary and told him that the Prime Minister could come to Bangabhaban at any time.
This report was extracted and translated from an Amar Desh newspaper report from 22/12/2024.
Comments
By seeking the assistance of an outside country Sheikh Hasina knowingly committed another act of treason. If the Indian Armed Forces were to be deployed against Bangladesh and its people it would cause major international incident that would not be resolved without the defeat of the Indian Armed Forces in Bangladeshi soil.
Foreign countries do not hold any useful military capability that could be used to contain 200 million people. If lessons are to be taken from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and the Vietnam war the outcome could be concluded.
The Armed Forces of Bangladesh have always stood besides the people of the country in every difficult situation. While Sheikh Hasina managed to utilise the Police forces, she had no capacity to dictate the terms to the military and paramilitary forces of the country given the dire situation at play.
The Bangladesh Armed Forces tactically managed to ensure the end of the Awami League regime, and India’s hegemonic interference in Bangladesh without any bloodshed. It maintained image as a defender of the country and its people by throwing out an Indian-backed regime, and earned the praise of the international community for carrying out the exercise in a very planned manner without leaving any room for Sheikh Hasina and India to fight back.
India knew Sheikh Hasina would one day be removed from power, but was wholly unprepared to be defeated resoundingly in all sphere’s by the Bangladesh Armed Forces and people of Bangladesh.
This severely clouded judgement is a result of the tunnel visioned foreign policy of India that is engineered by Ajit Doval, Jaishanker and the Hindu right wing elements. It limits the option Prime Minister Narendra Modi can take against Bangladesh. It falls back on hybrid warfare tactics, but without any long term substance.
Since the fall of the Awami League regime attempts were made from New Delhi to disrupt the activities of the Dr Yunus led interim government’s activities in Bangladesh through numerous engineered protests and targeted media blitz narrating falsified or exaggerated stories of atrocities on minorities (Hindus specifically). However, these hollow were more to cater for India’s domestic politics than have any impact on the ground in Bangladesh.
The pride of ring-wing leaning India was hurt. It needed to settle the score in a cheap manner using Bollywood narratives of Hindus under attack by Muslims. In fact Muslim neighbours and politicians were protecting Hindu temples and properties from being targeted by Awami League goons who were instructed by Sheikh Hasina from India to create communal violence in Bangladesh so that India somehow takes action against Bangladesh.
India did take limited diplomatic actions. It stopped processing all but emergency or medical visas in Bangladesh and banned exporting essential produce such as rice and onions to the neighbouring country.
The interim government in Bangladesh took immediate steps to nullify India’s actions by importing the same from other countries, including India’s arch-enemy, Pakistan.
Hindu terrorist brigands attacked the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, that was viewed as a redline by Dhaka. Bangladesh closed down the diplomatic complex in Agartala, and stopped issuing visas to Indian citizens. It also requested foreign embassies in New Delhi, who were in charge of Bangladesh and India affairs concurrently to establish embassies or high commissions in Bangladesh or task their embassies in third countries to process any visa applications for Bangladeshis, as it was reported Bangladeshi international students and workers were unable to appear at foreign embassies in India to obtain their foreign visas.
Bangladesh-India relations stand at the lowest ebb in history. The naked interference by India’s intelligence agency in Bangladesh, their deliberate schemes to rob the people of Bangladesh their rights to democracy and basic human rights have made India extremely unpopular in Bangladesh today.
India might celebrate 16 December as Victory Day but it was defeated on 5 August by Bangladesh.
The people of Bangladesh are historically very politically aware. No regime or political party in the country could survive for long if they were hoping to remain in power with the aid of outside powers. This disconnect between Awami League and the masses washed away any of their positive undertakings and exposed the wicked underbelly of the regime. Perhaps the biggest mistake of Awami League and Sheikh Hasina was to take on the students of the country, who number about 50 million in total. Their atrocities against children, students, and even womenfolk ensured they will remain unwanted by the people of Bangladesh for a long time.
Now the name of Awami League is synonymous with Pakistani dictatorial personalities from the past. The crimes committed by Awami League during their nearly 20 year reign of terror against the people of Bangladesh cannot be easily forgiven.
There are growing demands for the Awami League, its associated parties and organisations to be banned from Bangladesh in a comprehensive manner. Already its student wing, the brutal Chatra League has been banned and categorised as a terrorist organisation.
The interim government is working with the people of Bangladesh and friendly foreign countries to ensure Bangladesh’s economy and law and order improves gradually.
Up to $25 billion was siphoned offshore annually to fill the bank accounts of Awami League politicians and their corporate cronies. Some military collaborators were also involved in this multi-tiered scheme to rob Bangladesh.
Today the government of the country is trying to rebuild the country under the circumstances. It is necessary to purge the Awami League appointed bureaucrats, law enforcers, and military officers before security can be ensured in the country.