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The student movement had been going on since July. The intensity of that movement increased in the beginning of August. The student leadership had called for a non-cooperation movement across the country. They demanded Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. Then Sheikh Hasina resigned on August 5. Before this, the Sheikh Hasina administration had deployed the army to handle the situation.

Retired army officers recently spoke about August 5 in a meeting. They talked about what the army chief had talked about with Sheikh Hasina before resigning, the internal situation of the army, etc.

It is said that a few days before Sheikh Hasina resigned, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman had to face the anger of the young army officers of the army.

In a meeting on August 2, young army officers expressed their anger over the situation in the country.

When the situation was getting worse due to the month-long protests led by students in Bangladesh, the government deployed the army across the country. Meanwhile, on August 2, Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman faced a difficult situation. In a meeting that day, young army officers expressed their anger over the situation in the country.

Sources said that to appease the anger of the army officers, the army chief raised the issue that if power is transferred undemocratically, then Bangladesh could become like Kenya or other African countries.

Advising the officers to remain calm, the army chief said, “We have never had such mass protests in our country since 1970. So this is an exceptional incident. We all have to be patient.”

The meeting ended with the young army officers expressing their anger.

The meeting decided not to open fire on the agitating crowd. Two army officers who are aware of the discussions told Reuters.

On August 5, the protesters were scheduled to march towards the prime minister’s residence, Ganabhaban. An hour before the procession began, the chiefs of the army, air force and navy and the inspector general of police arrived at Ganabhaban. The army chief told Sheikh Hasina that his troops had shown their inability to comply with his call to the army to prevent public protests; because the situation was completely out of control. He also advised Sheikh Hasina to leave the country as soon as possible.

When the army chief asked Sheikh Hasina to resign, Sheikh Hasina became angry. Then she said, “My father liberated this country. I will not resign. You shoot.”

According to sources, Sheikh Hasina was initially completely reluctant to accept this advice. After failing to convince her, she told her younger sister Sheikh Rehana about the impending danger and requested Sheikh Hasina to convince her.

But after she also failed, the army chief contacted Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy. After talking to Joy, Sheikh Hasina agreed to leave the country. At that time, they had less than an hour to leave Ganabhaban safely.