Den bangladeshiske hær siger, den har forhindret et kup, planlagt mod premierminister Sheikh Hasina’s regering af militærfolk med “yderligtgående religiøse synspunkter”.
Military spokesman Masud Razzaq said in a statement that the attempt had been thwarted by the “whole-hearted efforts of army soldiers”, BBC online reports Thursday.
He said the officers planning the coup were in active military service and had “extreme religious views”. Bangladesh has a history of military governments. The army ran the country for 15 years until 1990. Sheikh Hasina took over power from a military-backed caretaker government in early 2009. Officials say she has since faced threats from Islamists and other radical groups.
The BBC’s Ethirajan Anbarasan in Dhaka says that this could prove to be the first major challenge to the government of Sheikh Hasina since the revolt by Bangladeshi border guards in February 2009.
– A band of fanatic officers had been trying to oust the politically established government. Their attempt has been foiled, Brig Gen Razzaq said.
He said that a group of up to 16 hardline Islamist military officers – including at least two retired officers – were involved. Some had been detained, he said, and would be presented before a military court.
