The Bangladesh army on Thursday said it had foiled a plot last month by some “religiously fanatic” serving officers to overthrow the elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“We have unearthed a heinous conspiracy to overthrow the democratic government through the army,” army spokesman Brigadier General Masud Razzaq said in a written statement.
“The attempt has been thwarted with the whole-hearted efforts of army soldiers,” the statement said, adding that the plot had been fomented by Bangladeshi expatriates in touch with “religiously fanatic army officers”.
Hasina’s government, which came to power in early 2009, made changes in June last year to bolster the secular character of the Bangladesh constitution, although Islam was retained as the state religion.
The move sparked a series of angry protests by Islamic activists.
Razzaq said two retired officers including a colonel had been arrested in connection with the conspiracy and he named a serving officer, Major Syed Ziaul Haq, as a “co-planner”.
“In an effort to implement his anti-state conspiracy, Major Ziaul, now absconding, sent emails to different serving officers to execute his operation plans on January 9 and 10, 2012,” he said.
The spokesman named the outlawed religious group Hizbut Tahrir for circulating Ziaul’s messages.
There were rumours online late last month about a foiled coup attempt after the nation’s main opposition leader Khaleda Zia accused the government of “incidences of disappearances” in the army.
The army hit back, terming the allegations “provocative and misleading”.
The spokesman said the army has set up a court of inquiry on December 28 to try the alleged coup planners.
