Bangladesh’s political landscape has gone into a phase of deep chaos, with rumours of a military coup and claims of betrayal spreading across the country. The discussion has intensified after the revelation of an upcoming book that makes strong allegations about how former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from office through a planned international operation.

In this book, titled Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an Unfinished Revolution, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal directly accuses the current army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, of helping execute what he calls a foreign-backed effort to bring down Hasina’s government. The book, written by Deep Halder, Jaideep Mazumdar, and Sahidul Hasan Khokon, and soon to be published by Juggernaut, explains this claim in detail.

Kamal, who worked closely with Hasina for years, is described as openly alleging that General Waker was part of a wider network supported by the CIA. His accusations have brought new tension into Bangladesh’s already divided political environment. The issue has gained more importance because the authors have previously written on South Asian politics and are known for their ground-level reporting.

“A perfect CIA plot,” says Hasina’s former Home Minister

According to the book, Kamal shared all these details with the authors during a conversation at a hotel in Delhi on a June morning. He called the change of power in Bangladesh “a perfect CIA(Central Intelligence Agency) plot” and said it had been designed with careful planning over a long period.

He further explained that they had no idea about General Waker’s secret links with foreign intelligence. Kamal is quoted saying, “We didn’t know that the CIA had Waker in its pocket.” He also said that Bangladesh’s key intelligence agencies—the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and the National Security Intelligence (NSI)—did not inform Hasina about the conspiracy. This lack of communication, he suggested, was a clear sign that senior members inside these agencies were possibly involved as well, since the army chief himself was at the centre of the operation.

The U.S. motive: Weakening strong regional leaders

When Kamal was asked what the United States would gain from a regime change in Bangladesh, he offered two reasons. His first point was that Washington prefers not to have several strong leaders in South Asia at the same time. He mentioned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China’s Xi Jinping, and Hasina, suggesting that powerful regional figures make it difficult for the U.S. to pursue its strategic goals.

Kamal’s second explanation focused on St Martin’s Island, a small but strategically located island in the Bay of Bengal. This island lies only a few kilometres from Myanmar and has become more important due to China’s increasing presence in the Indian Ocean. The book suggests that America’s interest in this island played a major role in pushing for a change in Bangladesh’s leadership.

Hasina’s warning about US pressure over St Martin’s Island

Former prime minister Hasina had herself revealed earlier that the United States was pressuring her to hand over access to St Martin’s Island. In a press conference before she lost power, she had said that she was told she could continue in office if she agreed to give the U.S. control over the island. She refused, saying such a move would be a direct attack on Bangladesh’s sovereignty.

Even after leaving office, during a Facebook Live session on 11th June, Hasina repeated her claim that the new government led by economist Muhammad Yunus was acting according to U.S. interests. Kamal supported this in the book, saying, “The Indian press is reporting this now, but the prime minister had warned us long before our government fell that the US wants her out to gain control of St Martin’s Island.”

The timing of the book’s release has added to the political tension. The Bangladesh army, still under General Waker-Uz-Zaman, has recently been under intense public scrutiny. On 11th October, the army made a rare official statement confirming that 15 officers were detained for their involvement in the enforced disappearances of Hasina’s political opponents during her rule. This announcement has raised concerns about divisions inside the military. Waker, who was preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia, cancelled his visit because of the increasing unease within the forces.

“This will deeply unsettle Bangladesh,” says author Deep Halder

As reported by News18, lead author Deep Halder said these revelations would shake Bangladesh’s political ground. He explained that General Waker himself had been appointed army chief by Hasina right before she was removed from power. According to Halder, two major figures—General Waker and President Md Sahabuddin—were at the centre of most rumours and theories about what led to the sudden shift in power.

Halder pointed out that the president failed to keep the army away from political affairs, which became visible during riots in Gopalganj and the arrests of army officers. For the past year, rumours had suggested that General Waker was working as “India’s agent.” But this new allegation—that he was instead aligned with the CIA—changes the narrative and brings new questions about his real allegiance.

The book highlights a dramatic comparison made by Kamal, who said, “Like Abhimanyu was trapped and killed by those he trusted, Waker tied up with fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh to bring Hasina down,” referring to a story from the Mahabharata.

Kamal further said that radical groups, including Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, which had long been divided and hostile to each other, united for the first time to remove Hasina. He claimed that this alliance was coordinated under Jamaat’s leadership with help from external intelligence networks.

How the betrayal unfolded

The book describes a conversation where two Awami League MPs sat quietly listening as Kamal explained everything that happened. He said that General Waker took charge as army chief in June 2024, and within weeks, on 5th August 2024, he forced Hasina to leave the country. According to Kamal, removing her was Waker’s “first secret mission”, a task that required betraying the leader who had elevated him to the highest military position.

Kamal also revealed that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was working closely with Jamaat. He said ISI-trained men quietly entered Jamaat and played a key role in triggering violence in late June, including attacks on policemen. When Kamal was home minister, senior police officials informed him that foreign-trained militants were mixing with protesters. Worried, he rushed to alert Hasina, but she told him that the army chief had already assured her that the military would handle the situation.

Kamal said that despite being informed about ISI involvement, Waker maintained that the army could manage the crowd without police intervention. A day before Hasina was forced out, a meeting took place at her residence, Gonobhaban, where senior government and security officials reviewed the situation. Kamal said he advised that police should secure all entry points to Dhaka to stop agitators from entering the capital. But Waker rejected this idea, saying people no longer trusted the police and the army should handle it instead.

Kamal recalled that he even offered to deploy police to guard Hasina’s residence. But Waker dismissed the suggestion, assuring them that the army would not allow anyone near Gonobhaban. He said, “She trusted him that evening”, and added with bitterness, “and we all know what happened the next day.”

What followed, according to him, was the final act of betrayal. On the morning of 5th August 2024, Hasina’s government collapsed. She was forced to leave the country under military pressure, ending her long rule. Kamal’s accounts describe Waker as the key person who pushed the plan forward by working with Islamist groups and foreign agencies to remove her from power.