The recent resignation of Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan has unveiled a sinister plot, orchestrated behind the scenes by Awami League loyalists and their allies, with backing from a foreign country. This revelation comes as the student protesters and the broader movement against ousted autocrat Sheikh Hasina have thwarted yet another attempt by hidden Awami operatives to destabilize the country.
Recent reports have shed light on a deep-rooted conspiracy involving former Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan and his associates. Their plan included an attempt to declare the interim government led by Dr Muhammad Younus illegal, mirroring the actions taken by former Chief Justice Sinha when he attempted to declare Sheikh Hasina’s government illegal. According to sources within the movement, Sajeeb Wazed Joy’s recent interview with Reuters where he claimed that his mother did not resign was part of this sinister ploy.
If it were not for the steadfast support of the people, who stood with the students, Bangladesh might have faced another surge of violence. This preemptive role of the Students and people of Bnagadehs saved the country from violent clashes on the fateful day of Saturday.
Sheikh Hasina’s son Joy and former Minster Arafat had conceived a coup plan, which was ultimately thwarted by timely intelligence from the army. The students, upon learning of this scheme, mobilized to prevent what would have been a judicial coup. The conspirators’ plan involved having the Appellate Division of the High Court declare the interim government illegal. This was to coincide with Dr. Mohammad Yunus’s visit to Abu Saeed’s residence in Rangpur and his helicopter’s flight, while simultaneously 25 army officers and a corrupt faction of the police still loyal to Sheikh Hasina would incite chaos in the capital. The objective was to ensure Sheikh Hasina’s return from India and reactivate dormant Awami League leaders and activists to seize the country’s power again.
The conspiracy reached a climax when the Chief Justice abruptly called an emergency meeting of 57 judges without prior consultation with the government, causing widespread public confusion. Forewarned by the students, they surrounded the High Court before 9 AM. With support from the army, the Chief Justice was compelled to back down, and the emergency meeting was postponed. The students also encircled the Chief Justice’s residence until they confirmed that the resignation letter had been delivered to the government.
In the aftermath of this incident, five additional Appellate Division judges were pressured to resign. Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed was appointed as the new Chief Justice of Bangladesh. Although an interim Chief Justice, who was another of Sheikh Hasina’s loyalists and a former Secretary General of Bangladesh Chhtra League, was initially appointed, he too had to resign under pressure from the protesters.
This sequence of events reveals not only the depth of the conspiracy but also the resilience and vigilance of the people and their allies in preventing further destabilization.
