Online Desk  :   The Bangladesh Army has strongly refuted Hasnat Abdullah’s claim that the army chief suggested rehabilitating a “refined” Awami League, calling the statement “absolutely ridiculous,” according to a report by Sweden-based news portal Netra News. While Netra News confirmed that a meeting did take place between Hasnat, a frontline leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), and Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, the army dismissed allegations that Abdullah was pressured into accepting any deal to bring back the Awami League. Contrary to Hasnat’s claims, the army clarified that neither he nor Sarjis Alam, another key figure of the July uprising, were “summoned” to the cantonment. Instead, Netra News quoted the military as saying that the duo had long requested a “courtesy meeting” with the army chief, which was eventually granted at their request.

Hasnat, currently serving as the chief organiser of Bangladesh South for the NCP, made headlines after posting on Facebook around 2 a.m. on Friday, alleging that a plan was underway to rehabilitate a rebranded Awami League under Indian influence. He claimed that figures like former minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury, ex-parliament speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, and former Dhaka mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh would lead this effort, publicly distancing themselves from Sheikh Hasina’s legacy in exchange for seat-sharing arrangements in parliament. The post quickly went viral, drawing widespread attention and praise for Hasnat’s bold stance against the military.

However, according to Netra News, the army’s statement contradicts Hasnat’s narrative. It claims that Sarjis Alam himself contacted the military adviser to the army chief to arrange the meeting and was invited to the army headquarters. The two reportedly waited at Sena Bhaban, where General Waker-uz-Zaman met them after completing his official duties. The army further stated that the chief merely expressed his opinion that Awami League leaders with no criminal charges should be allowed to participate in the political process. He was quoted as saying he regarded the young activists “like his sons” and did not exert any pressure regarding Awami League’s rehabilitation. “In reality, this is by no means a matter of summoning them or forcing them into any deal,” the army statement emphasized, as per Netra News. The controversy surrounding the meeting has ignited fresh debates over the role of the military in Bangladesh’s political landscape.