In October 2025, Bangladesh finds itself at a precarious crossroads, where the trials of army officers in the Jamaat-e-Islami-controlled International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) have ignited a firestorm of controversy.
These trials, targeting serving and retired military personnel for alleged crimes during the July-August 2024 riots, are seen by critics as a deliberate attempt to undermine the Bangladesh Army, orchestrated by a nexus of Jamaat-linked officers, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and the US-backed interim government under Muhammad Yunus.
Let’s take a look at the legal, political, and geopolitical dimensions of this crisis, exposing a purported plot to destabilise the army, weaken national sovereignty, and pave the way for foreign influence in the strategically vital Bay of Bengal region.
The ICT-BD Trials: A Legal and Constitutional Breach?
On October 8, 2025, the ICT-BD, originally established in 1973 to prosecute war crimes from Bangladesh’s Liberation War, issued arrest warrants for 29 army officers, including 15 serving officers and several retirees, on charges of “crimes against humanity” related to enforced disappearances and murders during the Awami League’s 15-year rule.
The list includes high-ranking figures like Major General Sheikh Md. Sarwar Hossain, Major General Kabir Ahmed, and Lieutenant General Md. Akbar Hossain, many of whom served in the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) or Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
The tribunal’s order, demanding their arrest by October 21 and presentation by October 22, has sparked outrage among legal experts, who argue it violates the Army Act of 1952 and Bangladesh’s Constitution.
In support of the arrest warrants, the US-backed Transparency International Bangladesh and the OHCHR chief, Volker Turk, among others, spoke shamelessly, putting the country’s armed forces and sovereignty into jeopardy.
Section 59(2) of the Army Act stipulates that only off-duty military personnel committing crimes like murder or rape against civilians fall under civil court jurisdiction. Government records confirm the accused officers were on duty during the July 2024 protests, tasked with protecting state property and public safety amid violent riots, orchestrated by the Jamaat-Shibir and Pakistan-based jihadists.
Legal scholars assert that deaths resulting from riot control or security operations constitute “officially sanctioned use of force,” not murder, and should be tried in military courts under Sections 41–45 of the Army Act, which cover misuse of authority or conduct unbecoming. The ICT-BD’s actions, bypassing military jurisdiction, are thus deemed unconstitutional and a direct assault on the army’s autonomy.
Five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, speaking virtually from exile in India on October 18, condemned the trials as a “profound insult” to honourable officers and a plot to dismantle Bangladesh’s sovereignty. She labelled the ICT-BD a “Jamaat Court,” alleging it has been hijacked by war criminals and Yunus’s regime to target pro-liberation forces.
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The tribunal’s recent amendments, introduced via an ordinance on October 6, further fuel suspicions. The new Section 20-C bars those charged with crimes against humanity during the “July Uprising” from holding public office or government jobs, a move critics see as a tool to purge the army of secular, nationalist elements.
Jamaat’s Infiltration and the ISI Blueprint
At the heart of this crisis lies a shadowy alliance between Jamaat-e-Islami, its affiliated student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir, and Pakistan’s ISI, allegedly exploiting the Yunus regime to destabilise the Bangladesh Army. Retired Brigadier General Abdullahil Amaan Azmi, son of war criminal and former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam, is a central figure in this plot. Azmi, who resurfaced in August 2024 after years in alleged confinement, is accused of spearheading efforts to form an Islamic Revolutionary Army (IRA) by undermining the army and DGFI.
Intelligence sources claim Azmi collaborates with pro-Pakistani officers like Lieutenant General Kamrul Hasan, Lieutenant General Mohammad Faizur Rahman, and Major General Asadul Haque, alongside sacked officers like Brigadier General Mohammad Hassan Nasir and Major Syed Ziaul Haque, a top al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) leader.
The ISI’s blueprint, as outlined in an August 2025 report by The Daily Republic, involves weakening Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman and replacing him with Azmi, who openly rejects Bangladesh’s Constitution, flag, and national anthem. Azmi’s vision, echoed by ISI-backed media like The CatchLine, calls for the “reunification of East Pakistan,” reviving a pro-Pakistan narrative that vilifies Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.
His allies, including Lieutenant Colonel Hasinur Rahman and Major Ziaul Haque, are reportedly training jihadist suicide squads, comprising Rohingya refugees and stranded Pakistanis, for attacks in India’s northeast and Myanmar’s Rakhine State. A July 2025 arms shipment from Karachi, offloaded in Cox’s Bazar under army supervision, allegedly supports these efforts, with weapons destined for the Arakan Army and other militant groups like the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).
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The Yunus regime’s complicity is evident in its inaction. Despite General Waker’s request to extend Major General Moin Khan’s tenure as GOC of the 9th Infantry Division, National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman and Lieutenant General Kamrul Hasan shelved the file, paving the way for Asadul Haque’s appointment—a move seen as consolidating Jamaat-ISI influence. The regime’s release of jihadists like Ansar al-Islam’s Jasimuddin Rahmani and its failure to address jailbreaks during the 2024 riots, which freed thousands of militants, further suggest a deliberate weakening of security structures.
US Influence and the Deep State Connection
The United States, through its strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, is accused of exploiting this chaos to entrench its influence. The Yunus regime, installed after Hasina’s ouster in August 2024, is widely viewed as a US-backed construct, with advisors like Khalilur Rahman and Syeda Rizwana Hasan tied to Western NGOs and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
Joint military exercises like “Tiger Lightning 2025,” “Tiger Shark,” and “Pacific Angel 25-3” have intensified since August 2024, with the US delivering RQ-21 Blackjack drones and patrol boats to bolster Bangladesh’s maritime surveillance—moves critics link to securing St. Martin’s Island for a potential naval base.
Sheikh Hasina’s refusal to sign a General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2023, which would have allowed a U.S. airbase in the Bay of Bengal, allegedly triggered her downfall, orchestrated via NED-funded youth protests akin to those in Nepal in September 2025.
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The ICT-BD trials serve as a tool to neutralise pro-liberation officers, replacing them with Jamaat-aligned figures amenable to US and Pakistani agendas. A September 2025 report by the Weekly Blitz alleges Yunus is implementing a UN plot to establish a Christian state in Bangladesh’s southeast, leveraging the OHCHR office to promote Western cultural hegemony.
The trials, by targeting officers who suppressed the 2024 riots, weaken the army’s ability to resist foreign-backed insurgencies, particularly in Cox’s Bazar, where Rohingya camps have become arms smuggling hubs. The mysterious death of US Green Beret Terence Arvel Jackson in Dhaka in 2024, reportedly linked to training Rohingya militants, fuels speculation of CIA involvement in destabilising operations.
Destabilising the Army: A Multi-Pronged Strategy
The Jamaat-ISI nexus employs a multi-pronged strategy to destabilise the army. First, the ICT-BD trials erode morale by branding loyal officers as criminals, forcing General Waker into a defensive posture. Second, propaganda campaigns by Yunus-aligned YouTubers like Pinak Bhattacharya and groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir vilify the army as corrupt, echoing National Citizen Party (NCP) rhetoric that confines soldiers to “cantonments.”
Third, the influx of arms from Pakistan and Myanmar, facilitated by lax oversight, empowers jihadist groups, creating a security vacuum. Finally, the strategic retirement or sidelining of pro-liberation officers like Moin Khan strengthens Jamaat’s grip, with figures like Azmi and Kamrul Hasan coordinating with ISI officials in Dhaka’s Mohakhali DOHS office.
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The October 2025 arrests of 15 officers, including the disappearance of Major General Kabir Ahmed, signal an escalating purge. Azmi’s lawsuit against 57 army and DGFI officials for his alleged 2016 disappearance aims to oust Waker and install a pro-Pakistan leadership. Intelligence reports warn of a potential coup, reminiscent of the 1975 assassination of Major General Khaled Mosharraf, to establish Azmi as army chief and Yunus as president under a civilian caretaker government. Such a move would align Bangladesh with Pakistan’s anti-India axis, threatening regional stability.
Regional and Global Implications
The trials and the broader destabilisation plot have profound implications. By weakening the army, the Jamaat-ISI-US nexus risks turning Bangladesh into a launchpad for jihadist attacks on India and Myanmar, exacerbating tensions in the Bay of Bengal. The US, seeking to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative, may tolerate Jamaat’s rise to secure strategic assets like St. Martin’s Island, despite public denials.
India, already wary of Yunus’s regime, faces a direct threat from suicide squads targeting its northeast, while Myanmar’s Arakan Army gains from arms flows. The erosion of Bangladesh’s secular identity, as warned by Hasina, could fuel Islamism, undermining the 1971 Liberation War’s legacy.
A Nation on the Brink
The ICT-BD trials of army officers are not merely judicial overreach but a calculated assault on Bangladesh’s military and sovereignty. Orchestrated by Jamaat-linked officers, backed by Pakistan’s ISI, and enabled by a US-aligned Yunus regime, this plot seeks to dismantle the army’s pro-liberation core, install an Islamist leadership, and open the door to foreign dominance.
As General Waker faces mounting pressure, the risk of a coup looms large, threatening to plunge Bangladesh into chaos. The nation stands at a precipice, where the defense of its independence hinges on resisting internal betrayal and external manipulation. Without swift action to restore military autonomy and constitutional integrity, Bangladesh risks becoming a pawn in a dangerous geopolitical chessboard.
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