Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman has yet again foiled an internal ‘soft coup’ attempt by National Security Adviser (NSA) Khalilur Rahman who was the main driver behind moving two lieutenant generals to key positions, at least two persons familiar with the turn of events have revealed to Northeast News.
The first occasion when Khalilur Rahman sought to create a rift within the Army was soon after he assumed charge as NSA in April 2025. This involved the controversial issue of “humanitarian corridor” into Myanmar’s Rakhine State, which Khalilur Rahman pitched for, first a “lifeline” for the Arakan Army across the Bangladesh-Myanmar border and then subsequently as a means to extend assistance to the people supposedly faced with food and medicine shortages.
Khalilur Rahman, who has made multiple visits since May-December 2025 to Qatar and the US, where he met with the State Department as well as intelligence officials, has never had a smooth working relationship with Gen Zaman who even went to the extent of banning his entry into Dhaka Cantonment. The continuing ban was for Khalilur Rahman’s “needless” efforts to extend assistance to not only the Arakan Army but later also advance the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Maungdaw and Buthidaung in the Rakhine State.
This was objected to by Gen Zaman who dismissed the “humanitarian corridor” as “bloody corridor” before quashing the move.
There the matter rested, until now.
In the latest episode to “trip” and “corner” Gen Zaman, Khalilur Rahman found an opportunity when the time neared for the retirement of Lieutenant General Mohammad Shaheenul Haque, the Commandant of the National Defence College, and Lt Gen Mizanur Rahman Shamim, the Chief of Defence Staff (CGS).
Khalilur Rahman’s plan was to take advantage of the two slots (that were to be vacated) to place Principal Staff Officer in the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen S M Kamrul Hassan as the next CGS and Quarter Master General Lt Gen Mohammad Faizur Rahman as the new PSO, a position which functions directly under the Chief Adviser’s Office.
While Lt Gen Haque has service tenure till January 2027, Lt Gen Shamim went into LPR or leave preparatory to retirement on January 21. Lt Gen Shamim was given a warm send-off with a reception hosted at Army Headquarters, while his wife was feted at the Kurmitola Golf Club. During the LPR period, an officer draws all pecuniary benefits but holds no official capacity till such time that he finally bows out of service.
The plan, one of the two persons familiar with the developments in the Army said, was to place Lt Gen Faizur, who is close to the Jamaat-e-Islami, as the PSO AFD and bring in Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan, who is close to Khalilur Rahman, as the next CGS which is a key post as it commands and operates the Army’s budget and other crucial functions.
The second person familiar with the files involving the planned movement of Lt Gen Faizur Rahman and Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan said that Khalilur Rahman also has “ambitions” of his own – he seeks to continue playing the NSA’s role in the event the BNP wins the February 12 election and assumes power. Khalilur Rahman, sources other than this second person, confirmed had opened a “line of communication” in June 2025 with then BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman and had shared his willingness to continue as the NSA.
Sensing Khalilur Rahman’s plan to effect a ‘soft coup’, Gen Zaman acted swiftly to stall the movement of Lt Gen Faizur Rahman and Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan as the PSO and CGS, respectively. Gen Zaman is scheduled to go into LPR in June 2027 and seeks to hold out till he steps down 17 months from now.
Now, in the event Gen Zaman goes into retirement in the normal course, Lt Gen Faizur will get elevated as the Bangladesh Army chief, a move which will favour the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Bangladesh defence sources said that even as the ‘soft coup’ has been averted, the Army is now faced with the real threat of a flare-up in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the area surrounding the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. Already, frequent reports of intense fighting between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military junta forces on one side and the Arakan Army and armed Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), Rohingya Solidarity Organisation and the Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA) “are being continually received” by Bangladesh Army units in the region.
These reports indicate that the Myanmar junta forces have plans to launch drone attacks against Arakan Army insurgents operating within the Chittagong Hills Tracts, especially in the Alikadam area, after building ties with Chakma fighters inside Bangladeshi territory.
Bangladeshi defence sources said individual reports in the last one month or so indicate that the “Bangladesh territory is being regularly used by the Arakan Army as well as the armed Rohingya groups to attack Myanmar junta forces who “are using Chinese combat drones”.
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While CASC CH3A model drones, which can undertake precision attacks, were supplied by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army units (PLA) to the Myanmar junta army, the Bangladesh Army’s Ramu-headquartered 10th Infantry Division and the Chittagong-based 24th Infantry Division “possesses scarce information” on the precise military weapons and provisions that the Myanmar junta forces may use in the event of intensified fighting in the Rakhine State.
