The 1996 Bangladesh coup d'état attempt was a coup attempt in Bangladesh. The coup was launched by Army Chief of Staff

Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim Bir Bikrom (born 4 January 1946) is a former Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army. In 1996, he attempted a military coup of the caretaker government which was preparing for general elections. After failure of the ...

against the

President of Bangladesh The president of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রপতি — ) officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশে ...

Abdur Rahman Biswas Abdur Rahman Biswas (1 September 1926 – 3 November 2017) was a Bangladeshi politician. He was the President of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996. Biswas represented Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly prior to the independence of Bangla ...

. The coup failed and the Army chief of Staff was dismissed.

Background

In February 1996 the Prime Minister of Bangladesh,

Khaleda Zia Khaleda Zia (; born Khaleda Khanam Putul in 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Ba ...

held elections which were boycotted by the main opposition,

Bangladesh Awami league Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

, led by

Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...

, who had demanded the elections be held under a neutral

Caretaker Government A caretaker government is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it usually consists of either randomly se ...

. The constitution was amended and the formation of a neutral caretaker government took place. During the period between February and June, Major General G.H. Murshed Khan and Brigadier General Hameedur Rehman had spoken against the political situation of the country. President Abdur Rahman Biswas asked the Chief of Staff of Bangladesh Army, Lieutenant General Abu Saleh Mohammed Nasim, to take action against the officers. Nasim refused which led the president to dismiss those officers through the defence Ministry. G. H. Morshed Khan was the GOC of Bogra Cantonment and Hameedur Rahman was the deputy chief of

Bangladesh Rifles Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) are a paramilitary force responsible for the border security of Bangladesh. The force is known as "The Vigilant Sentinels of the National Frontier". The BGB is entrusted with the responsibility to defend the borde ...

Coup

Lieutenant General Abu Saleh Mohammed Nasim revolted against presidential orders. He organised troops loyal to him. Nasim was placed under house arrest by troops loyal to the government and dismissed from service, after Nasim was fired on

Sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, estab ...

charges. The soldiers loyal to the government also blocked roads leading to the capital Dhaka as they might be used to bring troops loyal to General Nasim. The situation was more tense in northern Bogra Cantontment where the GOC, Major General G.H. Murshed Khan, was sacked by the president. Soldiers protected the Government TV and Radio stations. General Nasim was placed under the custody of Military police and held in the VIP officers' mess. Soldiers from Bogra cantonment and

Mymensingh Cantonment Mymensingh Cantonment (Officially known as Momenshahi Cantonment) was the headquarters of the 19th Infantry Division of the Bangladesh Army. Presently it has the headquarters of ARTDOC which consists of its Battle Group and all the training instit ...

supported General Nasim. The soldiers from Mymensingh Cantonment tried to March to Dhaka but returned to their bases when the president ordered them to do so. Troops from Bogra cantonment could not reach Dhaka, as they could not cross the Jamuna River. The other side of

Jamuna River The Jamuna River ( bn, যমুনা ''Jomuna'') is one of the three main rivers of Bangladesh. It is the lower stream of the Brahmaputra River, which originates in Tibet as Yarlung Tsangpo, before flowing into India and then southwest into ...

was controlled by troops from

Savar Cantonment Savar Cantonment ( bn, সাভার সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The 9th infantry division of Bangladesh Army is garrisoned there. Corps of Military Police Centre & School (CMPC&S) and the ...

who remained loyal to the president.

Aftermath

Major General Mahbubur Rahman was appointed the new army chief by the president.

won the parliamentary election that was carried out by the Caretaker Government. General Mahbubur Rahman joined

Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল, Bangladesh Jātīyotābādī Dol; BNP) is a centre-right to right-wing nationalist, political party in Bangladesh and one of the major ...

after retirement. The failed coup strengthened the image of Bangladesh army and its willingness to support democracy.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1996 Bangladesh coup d'état attempt 1990s coups d'état and coup attempts 1996 in Bangladesh Military coups in Bangladesh May 1996 events in Asia 1996 in military history 1996 crimes in Bangladesh

Background

Coup

Aftermath

See also

References