Just over a month into his tenure as Bangladesh’s army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman has found himself at the center of national attention following the announcement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
Hasina fled the country on Monday amid escalating unrest.
The unrest began last month when student groups demanded the elimination of a controversial quota system for government jobs. This movement quickly intensified into a broader campaign calling for Hasina’s resignation. The Prime Minister, who has been in power for 15 years and secured a fourth consecutive term in January, has faced severe backlash. The violence has been deadly, with nearly 250 casualties reported.
General Zaman, who took over as army chief on June 23, is serving a typical three-year term. Born in Dhaka in 1966, he is married to Sarahnaz Kamalika Zaman, the daughter of General Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman, who led the army from 1997 to 2000. Zaman holds a Master’s degree in Defence Studies from the National University of Bangladesh and another Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King’s College, London.
Before his appointment as army chief, Zaman served as Chief of General Staff for just over six months.
In this role, he managed military operations, intelligence, and UN peacekeeping efforts, as well as overseeing the defense budget. His extensive career, spanning three-and-a-half decades, includes working closely with Hasina as the principal staff officer at the Armed Forces Division under the Prime Minister’s Office. He has also been involved in the modernization of the army.
As protests surged again this month, Zaman has called on army personnel to maintain security for citizens, property, and critical state installations.
