General Waqaruzzaman, Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army, was born in 1966 in Sherpur District and trained in military colleges in Bangladesh and Britain. He served in the Infantry Corps and the Armed Forces Department of the Prime Minister's Office, taught at the NCO Academy and served with UN peacekeeping forces in Angola and Liberia.
On August 5, 2024, in a speech to the nation, he announced the resignation of Prime Minister Hasina Wajid after weeks of continuous protests against her, promised to form an interim government, and called on the demonstrators to return to their homes and trust the army.
Birth and upbringing
Waqaruzzaman was born on September 16, 1966, in Sherpur district of northeastern Bangladesh.
Study and training
During his military training, Waqar Zaman studied at the Military Academy and the Command and Staff College in Bangladesh, and also received training at military colleges in Britain.
He holds an MA in Defence Studies from Bangladesh and an MSc in Defence Studies from King's College, University of London.
Military experience
Waqar Al-Zaman joined the army on December 20, 1985, and rose through the military ranks until he attained the rank of Lieutenant General, the highest rank in his country's army.
He started his career in the infantry and then became the commander of an infantry battalion, and later took over as the staff officer in the Armed Forces Division under the Office of Prime Minister Hasina Wajid.
Among the positions he held during his career were Chairmanship of the Bangladesh National Authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention, in addition to other duties in the General Staff.
He has also served as an instructor at the Infantry School, NCO Academy and Bangladesh Peacekeeping Training Institute and is a recipient of the Exceptional Service Medal and the Army Glory Medal.
During the 1990s, the team served as part of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Angola and Liberia.
From 23 June 2024, Lieutenant General Waqaruzzaman became the Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army for a period of 3 years, succeeding Lieutenant General Shafiuddin Ahmed.
In the face of protests
About two weeks before Lieutenant General Waqaruzzaman took over the top job in the army, Bangladesh had witnessed widespread protests against a system that reserved 30% of public jobs for the families of fighters who took part in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.
The first spark for these protests dates back to a decision issued by the Supreme Court on June 5, 2024, regarding the revival of the quota system, which had been abolished under reforms following a wave of popular protests in 2018.
The army, under the command of Lieutenant General Waqar Zaman, quickly became the force behind the protests after Prime Minister Hasina's government called on it to impose a curfew, after police failed to control the situation despite firing live ammunition at protesters.
Army units have been deployed on the streets of the capital Dhaka and other major cities in the country since July 20, yet protests demanding the abolition of the quota system and the resignation of the prime minister have continued.
take charge
On Monday, August 5, 2024, Chief of Army Staff General Waqaruzzaman announced in an address to the nation that he had assumed responsibility, confirmed the resignation of Prime Minister Hasina Wazed who had left for India by military helicopter, and called on the protesters to trust the army and return home.
His speech included talk of meetings with representatives of the main political parties and the formation of an interim government after consultations with the country's president, Mohamed Shihab-Eldin. He also promised to investigate all killings since the outbreak of protests last June.