'CIA's Man…': Bangladesh Army Chief Double-Crossed Hasina, Claims Her Ex-Home Minister In New Book | Exclusive

Last Updated:November 03, 2025, 11:59 IST

The bombshell was revealed in the book, 'Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an Unfinished Revolution' written by Deep Halder, Jaideep Mazumdar and Sahidul Hasan Khokon

In a yet-to-be-released book, ousted PM Sheikh Hasina's home minister has not just called the power transfer a "perfect CIA plot" but alleged that Bangladesh army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman is "in the CIA's pockets” and "backstabbed" her. (Image: File)

Bangladeshi media is rife with rumours of an army coup, and with it has come the revelation of a big betrayal.

In a yet-to-be-released book, ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has not just called the power transfer a “perfect CIA plot" but alleged that Bangladesh army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman – a relative of Hasina – is “in its (CIA’s) pockets" and “backstabbed" her. 

The bombshell revelation has been made in the book, Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an Unfinished Revolution written by Deep Halder, Jaideep Mazumdar and Sahidul Hasan Khokon and published by Juggernaut.

WAKER ‘IN CIA’s POCKETS’

The conversation took place at an unidentified hotel’s coffee shop in central Delhi on a June morning.

“It was a perfect CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] plot hatched over a long period of time to overthrow Hasina. We did not know the CIA had Waker in its pocket," Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who was Bangladesh’s second most powerful person not so long ago, is quoted in the book.

“We did not know that General Waker-uz-Zaman was on their payroll. Our primary defence intelligence agency, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence of Bangladesh, as well as Bangladesh’s principal civilian intelligence agency, the Security Intelligence, did not warn the prime minister that Waker had decided to betray her. Maybe their top bosses were also involved in this plot. How won’t they be? After all, the army chief himself was a principal plotter!" Khan is quoted in the book.

When countered with what interest it serves for the United States to engage the CIA and indulge in a regime change as far as Bangladesh, Khan mentions Modi and Xi.

“Two reasons. The first is to not have too many powerful heads of state in South Asia. Modi, Xi, Hasina. How would the CIA operate if such strong leaders rule the subcontinent? American interests are best served with weaker governments. But there was a more immediate reason – St Martin’s Island," he is quoted.

St Martin’s Island, about 9 km south of Teknaf and 8 km from Myanmar, occupies a strategic spot in the Bay of Bengal – now crucial amid China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean.

In fact, Hasina, before losing power, in a press conference, alleged that if she hands over the island to the Americans, she can stay on without problems. However, that would be compromising with Bangladesh’s sovereignty, which she has now, in a Facebook live on 11 June, accused the Yunus regime of.

“The Indian press is reporting this now, but the prime minister had warned us much before the fall of our government in Bangladesh that the US is trying to push her out of power as it wants the St Martin’s Island," he is quoted.

This book comes at a time when the Bangladesh Army, still headed by Waker-Uz-Zaman, is increasingly dragged into the country’s domestic politics. In an unprecedented case, on October 11, its media reported how the army had taken 15 of its officers into custody for their alleged involvement in the enforced disappearances of political opponents of Hasina during her tenure. Fearing a division within the army, Waker, who was scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, had to cancel it.

Lead author Deep Halder told News18 why this revelation is going to unsettle Bangladesh. “General Waker was appointed by Hasina just before her ouster. Two people in top positions in Bangladesh were suspected of many political narratives that came out – General Waker and the President of Bangladesh, Md Sahabuddin, who continues to remain so. He has failed to keep the army as an apolitical force, be it in the Gopalganj riot or in the case of the arrest of 15 army personnel. Now, for the better part of last year and this year, a constant narrative was pushed by NCP ( Citizen Party) leaders that General Waker is India’s agent. Now comes this massive revelation, which raises the question what side Waker is playing," he said.

HOW DID ARMY CHIEF ‘BACKSTAB’ HASINA?

Very rarely would one expect the most powerful man after Hasina to quote the Mahabharata to drive home a point.

“Like Abhimanyu was trapped from all sides and then felled in the war by his own, Waker tied up with the fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh to bring Hasina down. The Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh had brought all radical forces together before this. Do not forget that the radical Islamist parties in Bangladesh had often violently disagreed with each other in the past over ideological reasons and their interpretation of Islamic laws. But to bring down the Hasina government, they all came together under the guidance of the Jamaat-e-Islami,’ he said.

The authors recollect the conversation amid occasional sips of tea at the hotel’s coffee shop, in the silent presence of two Awami League MPs. Khan, while speaking, said Waker took charge as the Bangladesh army chief only in June 2024 and, on August 5, he “forced Hasina" to “leave Bangladesh".

According to the former home minister, it was possibly his “first secret assignment" where he had to “overthrow the very leader who chose him as the army chief". But how did he ‘backstab’ – a strong charge that is going to have a huge ripple effect not just in Bangladesh but internationally?

“Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI], had been working closely with the Jamaat. In fact, some ISI-trained men had infiltrated the ranks of Jamaat, and they were instrumental in killing policemen in late June," he said.

As chaos erupted, as home minister, he was told by top police officials that ISI-trained men had infiltrated Jamaat and mingled with student protesters, he said he rushed to then PM Hasina, “only to be told by her that the army chief has assured her he would be able to manage the ever-growing crowd of agitating students", he is quoted in the book.

In fact, the Bangladesh Army Chief, a relative of Hasina, told Khan that the army will “handle the situation" in the presence of the Prime Minister, even after being informed about the ISI intrusion. Just a day before she would be forced to leave, there was a meeting at her residence to assess the ground situation regarding threats of agitators storming Gonobhobon, attended by the top echelons of the government and the security apparatus of Bangladesh.

“I had told the prime minister that police would man every entry point into Dhaka so that no agitating crowd could enter the city from outside. Waker told me in front of Sheikh Hasina that the people had lost faith in the police because of the violence on the streets and that it would be best to let the army stop agitators at entry points," he is quoted saying about the evening before August 4, 2024.

“I had proposed that my policemen would man Gonobhaban. Waker had said there was no need for that, also. He would ensure that the army would not allow anybody near the prime minister’s residence. Sheikh Hasina had trusted Waker that evening. You know what happened the next day," he quipped, almost like a defence counsel saying: ‘I rest my case’.

News world 'CIA's Man…': Bangladesh Army Chief Double-Crossed Hasina, Claims Her Ex-Home Minister In New Book | Exclusive

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