Analyst Describes August 2024 Shift in Bangladesh as a Foreign-Controlled Coup

Political analyst and writer Anwar A. Khan has described the political change that took place in Bangladesh in August 2024 as the hijacking of democracy. According to him, it was a planned coup, in which domestic political forces, the international arena, and military influence worked together.

In an article published on 28 November in the Sri Lanka Guardian, the writer said that the incident was a dark chapter in Bangladesh’s history. Ignoring the people's voting rights and the constitutional process, a foreign-controlled interim government was established. He claims that the U.S. intelligence agency CIA, Pakistan’s ISI, and some Western powers exploited Bangladesh’s internal unrest to create a pathway for regime change.

Anwar A. Khan mentions that although the international community portrayed Bangladesh’s internal movement as a democratic demand, behind it was a well-planned foreign intervention. He says that the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and some Islamist groups coordinated with foreign powers and turned the movement violent. According to him, the students’ quota reform movement was not a simple demand; rather, it was a disguised political conspiracy.

The writer claims that a portion of the military and administration also played a role in this change. They coordinated with foreign powers, intensified political instability, and eventually paved the way for the fall of the government.

The name of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has also been mentioned in the column. According to the writer, the international community used him as the face of the change. Foreign powers attempted to place him at the leadership of the interim government to implement their own interests.

Anwar A. Khan says that as a result of the incident, Bangladesh’s democracy has been severely damaged. Ignoring the people’s voting rights and the constitutional process, a foreign-controlled interim government has been established. He sees this as a direct attack on Bangladesh’s sovereignty.

The writer further says that international media and some domestic media outlets presented the incident as a mass movement. But in reality, it was a planned propaganda effort designed to confuse ordinary people.

He warned that if the people are not aware, the future of Bangladesh will become even more uncertain. If the influence of foreign powers and local political groups continues, the nation’s independence and democracy will repeatedly come under threat.