Saudi cables in Wikileaks
Implicating BNP, Tarique, Jamaat in 2011 coup attempt not rational
The death row convict in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman killing case, retired Lieutenant Colonel Shariful Haque Dalim, had led an aborted coup attempt against the government of prime minister Sheikh Hasina three and a half years ago.
The Saudi embassy in Dhaka had given such information to its foreign ministry in Riyad and this was disclosed in the Saudi diplomatic cables recently revealed in Wikileaks.
According to the description of the happenings in Dhaka as stated by the Saudi embassy through diplomatic cables to its foreign ministry, said the coup schemer had planned to oust the government by killing the then president Zillur Rahman, prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and several top army officers including the chief of army staff.
The Saudi embassy said the incident was in fact “very limited”, but the government has used this as a propaganda tool.
The diplomatic cable suggested that BNP, its senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman and Jamaat-e-Islami should not be implicated in the incident.
The Saudi embassy apprised its foreign ministry of this information in a very confidential cable on 24 Rabi’ul Awwal 1433 in Hijri calendar (2012).
On 30 June, Prothom Alo sent an English translation of the diplomatic cable regarding Bangladesh by email to the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka, but it received no reply.
The daily Amar Desh, which is now closed, published an email of Major Ziaul Haque headlined “Mid-ranking officers in Bangladesh army are going to bring about a bigger change soon” on 3 January 2012.
Six days into that, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia at a rally in the Polo Grounds in Chittagong, said an abduction had taken place in the army.
After the publication of the email in the Amar Desh and the allegation by the then opposition leader in parliament, Bangladesh army on 19 January 2012 formally disclosed the information of the failed coup attempt of 2011.
However, the army in its description of the failed coup attempt, made no mention of anything concerning Shariful Haque Dalim.
The government or the army never in the past in Bangladesh disclosed information of any failed coup attempt in Bangladesh.
The Saudi cables shows first that the coup attempt was planned in three countries and one of the key architects of the upsurge of 15 August 1975, Dalim, who the cable said “is currently staying in Afghanistan,” played the role of a “coordinator”.
The Inter Service Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) of the Bangladesh armed forces declined to make any comment immediately.
When an attempt was made to communicate with the state minister for home affairs, Asaduzzaman Khan, it was learnt that he was undergoing treatment.
Foreign secretary Md Shahidul Haque said he knew nothing the Saudi cables leaked by the Wikileaks.
On last 19 June, the incident of leaking Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic cables for the first time in the history on Wikileaks’s website triggered a stir around the world.
Many diplomatic cables published in international media in the last two weeks have embarrassed the Saudi government and the members of the Saudi monarchy.
The Saudi government has, however, refrained from making any comment on the matter. It warned its people against distributing documents and cables “which could be fake.”
The Saudi foreign ministry in its tweeted message, however, did not deny the veracity of the cables directly.
The very next day, the Saudi foreign ministry spokesperson said, “No citizen should fulfill the desires of the enemy of the state by exchanging or releasing any documents (cables). Many of the cables might be concocted through different means. An investigation into the matter is going on and those who are involved will be punished.”
An announcement was made to release over 5,00,000 diplomatic confidential cables of Saudi government on 19 June marking the third anniversary of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s stay (captivity) at Ecuadorian embassy in London.
About 61,000 confidential cables of Saudi administration were released on Wikileaks on the very day and some of the cables contain Bangladesh affairs.
Two “very confidential” cables (letter number 5/5/65077 dated 26/21433 and letter number 218/5/5/228 dated 2/3/1433) which were sent a month back from Dhaka as said in a Saudi embassy’s cable which (letter number 218/5/5-326 dated 24 Rabiul Awwal 1433 hijri) Prothom Alo obtained were not found.
In the cable, the Saudi foreign ministry was informed quoting media reports that 16 serving and former army officers attempted to depose Sheikh Hasina government and the target was ousting the government by killing top army officials, PM Shiekh Hasina and president Zillur Rahman.
The coup attempt was hatched in Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia. The cable said, “Former army officer Shariful Haque Dalim, a death row convict in Sheikh Mujibur Rahman killing case, and a Bangladesh businessman based Hong Kong Ishraq Ahmed financed the failed coup attempt and allegations have it that he [Ishraq Ahmed] was involved in the banned Hizb-ut Tahrir. The government thwarted the coup attempt by arresting army officers involved.”
The cable said further, “The Saudi embassy thinks that the coup attempt was in a very limited scale. But the government used the incident for its own campaigns and accused the opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia’s party in the incident. But the embassy thinks that the allegations are not true.”
On 19 January 2012, Bangladesh army’s spokesperson at the time, Brigadier General Masud Razzak, formally disclosed that 16 extreme Islamist army officers hatched a conspiracy to depose a politically established government in December of 2011, but their attempt failed.
The army came to know of the coup plan on 13 December in the previous year (2011) and then five investigation courts at first and another six investigation courts later were formed to investigate into the matter.
After probing complaints, the court recorded testimonies of 74 officials and brought 15 of them, including a major general and a brigadier general, under trial.
Among the accused 15, two were retired officials and eight recorded confessional testimonies before the criminal court at different times.
The officials, in their testimonies, confessed that they were involved with the incidents and mentioned names of other officials.
On the basis of these testimonies and evidence, several officials were convicted and sentenced to different terms.
After the declaration of the verdict, the major general officer was sent on routine retirement and the brigadier general officer was reinstated.
Pointing to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on 21 January, 2012 told a meeting at Gonobhaban, “She (Khaleda) said that the government will not stay in power till December. Now, we understand her speech and see its manifestations."
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a day latersaid, “The government's accusing BNP is part of its ulterior motive to make the armed forces controversial.”
Reacting on Khaleda’s speech, Bangladesh Army spokesman brigadier general Muhammad Masud Razzaq said, “An instigative debate has been raised among army persons and conscious citizens, as a political party alleged that an abduction had taken place in the army.”
In reply, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said some comments coming from the cantonment were politically coloured and were similar to the ruling party’s political propaganda.
The Saudi embassy informed its foreign ministry, “The government accused Lokman Al Azmi, the son of former Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and who now lives in Britain, for the military coup.”
“The government also propagated military officials, who were extreme Islamists, were behind the coup attempts. It looks like the government will remove Islamists from the force by conducting a purge.”
About the identity of the people behind the coup attempts, army spokesperson said they were ‘extremists in following religious rule’ and had ‘bigoted sentiments’.
Former railway minister Suranjit Sen Gupta on 20 January, 2012 claimed that BNP-Jamaat alliance had complicity with the coup attempts.
The Saudi document mentioned, “USA and India condemned the failed attempts of the military coup. India accused Tarique Rahman, son of Khaleda Zia, for the coup.”
The following part of the text was not available.
However, former Saudi foreign minister Saud Al-Faisal brought Saudi king Abdullah’s attention over the text on 27 Rabiul Awal 1433 H.
A one-page particularly confidential letter of the ministry showed the embassy wrote an evaluation on Tarique over the issue.
“It is illogical to accuse Khaleda’s party or her son and Jamaat, as opposition leader Khaleda has never been seen using military force to oust a government in the history of Bangladesh,” the letter said.
“Especially when the opposition knows it very well that the army high ups are loyal to Sheikh Hasina government.”
The Saudi foreign minister sent the copy of the letter to his country’s home minister and intelligence chief as well.
Mahbubur Rahman, a retired lieutenant general and adviser of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia told Prothom Alo, “Bangladesh army is the protector of country’s independence and sovereignty. The army men have to be kept above controversy.”
“The government’s attitude is duly indicated by the Saudi document,” he added.
The leaked documents that have been published by Wikileaks show Saudi embassy in Islamabad (Pakistan) sent a diplomatic note to the Saudi foreign ministry (7/3/1433 H) over the military coup attempts in Bangladesh.
The note said, “Most Pakistanis consider Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina to be a puppet of India who is serving India’s purposes.”
“The propaganda of last week’s coup attempts was an endeavour to terminate army officials who opposed Indian dominance in different levels of army and civil sectors.”
“Moreover, Sheikh Hasina will use the incidents about the coup as a weapon against the civilians opposed to her.”
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