DHAKA: Just over a month after he became Bangladesh’s army chief, General Wakeruz Zaman has been thrust into the limelight, announcing the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who fled the country on Monday.

Zaman said in a televised address that after discussions with “all political parties”, it was decided that an interim government would be formed.

It was not clear if the army would play a role, but Zaman said: “We will now go to the president of the country, where we will discuss about the formation of the interim government, form the interim government, and manage the nation,” he said.

Bangladesh has been engulfed by protests and violence that began last month after student groups demanded scrapping of a controversial quota system in government jobs.

That escalated into a campaign to seek the ouster of Hasina, who has been in power for 15 years and most recently swept to a fourth straight term in January. Nearly 250 people have been killed in the violence.

Zaman, 58, assumed the duties of army chief on June 23 for a period of three years — the normal tenure for the position. Born in Dhaka in 1966, he is married to Sarahnaz Kamalika Zaman, the daughter of General Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman, who was army chief from 1997 to 2000.

Zaman holds a Masters degree in Defence Studies from the National University of Bangladesh and a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King’s College, London, according to the Bangladesh Army website.

Prior to becoming the army chief, he served as the Chief of General Staff for little over six months — a role in which he oversaw, among other things, military operations and intelligence, Bangladesh’s role in UN peacekeeping operations, and budget.

In a career spanning three-and-a-half decades, he has also worked closely with Hasina, serving as the principal staff officer at the Armed Forces Division under the Prime Minister’s Office.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2024