Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser (South) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), shared a 28-second video today (21 March) in which Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan is seen stating that Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman had reservations about appointing Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser (CA) following the fall of the Awami League government during the mass uprising.
There is no verification of the authenticity of the video and is attempting to contact Adviser Asif, one of the former student leaders involved in the movement, for comment.
In the video, titled "Cantonment Intervention Trailer-1", Asif claims that while the army chief ultimately accepted the students' decision to install Yunus as CA, he did so with a "heavy heart" after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on 5 August last year.
"The main objection from the army chief was: Why Dr Yunus? Why not someone else? There are cases against him. He is a convicted person," Asif is heard saying in the clip.
He further states that the army chief questioned, "The Awami League cannot stand this person, and 30-40% of Bangladesh’s population ultimately supports the Awami League. Is it wise to appoint someone as chief adviser against the wishes of such a large segment of the people?"
Asif concludes by recalling the army chief's final remark: "I am accepting this decision with a heavy heart."
In the comment section of the post, Hasnat also alleged that the TV channel that recorded the interview on 15 March was reluctant to broadcast it. "That's why we are releasing the version we have," he wrote.
This video release follows Hasnat's previous viral post, which sparked protests after he claimed that efforts were being made to revive the Awami League with backing from the cantonment.
Earlier, Hasnat alleged in a Facebook post that during a meeting at the cantonment on 11 March, he and two others were offered seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming elections in exchange for accepting an Awami League rehabilitation plan.
According to Hasnat, the plan—described as "entirely India's"—would establish a "Refined Awami League," which would acknowledge the crimes of the Sheikh family, disown former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and pledge to restore "Bangabandhu's Awami League.
