Khaleda Zia’s son, ISI and London plan in Dhaka upheaval: Bangladesh intel report
The blueprint for regime change in Bangladesh, which witnessed massive protests over a quota system that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
Was drafted in London in collaboration with Pakistan’s ISI, according to intelligence reports. Bangladeshi officials have claimed they have evidence of meetings between Tarique Rahman, the acting chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and son of Khaleda Zia, and ISI officials in Saudi Arabia.
In the lead up to the violence, several “anti-Bangladesh” handles on X were continuously fuelling the protest. Over 500 negative tweets were made against the Sheikh Hasina government, including those from Pakistani handles.
Sources said the Pakistan Army and the ISI aimed to destabilise Hasina’s government and restore the opposition BNP, which is known to be pro-Pakistan. China, through the ISI, also played a role in escalating the protests that eventually forced Hasina to flee to India.
HOW ISI, CHINA CONSPIRED AGAINST HASINA GOVT?
What started as a protest against job reservations, evolved into a broader anti-government movement against Hasina, leaving over 300 dead and hundreds more injured.
The intelligence establishment said the ISI-backed Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, inflamed the protests and turned it into a determined effort to replace Hasina with a regime that is friendly to Pakistan and China.
The aim of the Jamaat-e-Islami, known for its anti-India stance, was to turn the student protests into a political movement.
The intelligence inputs indicate meticulous planning undertaken by Islami Chhatra Shibir members for several months. A significant portion of this funding is believed to have originated from Chinese entities operating in Pakistan, intelligence sources said.
While scanning social media activity during the Bangladesh protests, it was observed that the bulk of posts against the Awami League, videos of violence against the protesters and posters demonising Sheikh Hasina, were being manufactured by the BNP and its affiliated accounts. A large chunk of these were being amplified by US-based accounts.
WHY PROTESTS ERUPTED IN BANGLADESH?
The roots of the protests lie in a controversial quota system that reserved up to 30 per cent of government jobs for family members of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.
Even though the Bangladesh Supreme Court cut the job quotas to 5%, the protests took a different turn, with agitators demanding Hasina’s resignation. The protests aggravated on August 4 as over 100 died in clashes with police.
On Monday, Hasina resigned as Bangladesh Prime Minister and fled the country, with the Army taking over control.
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin said an interim government would be formed as he dissolved the Parliament. The president also ordered the release of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.