In a surprising move, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman has cancelled his scheduled visit to Mecca, where he was to perform umrah, shortly after meeting Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus at the Jamuna State Guest House in Dhaka on Saturday night.

According to sources within the Bangladesh Army, the cancellation was decided following the meeting with Yunus, although no official explanation has been provided. The move has raised eyebrows across military and intelligence circles, given the timing and the significance of the planned trip.

Army sources said that Gen Zaman and his wife, Sarahnaz Kamalika Zaman, were to leave for Jeddah on November 2, from where they planned to proceed to Mecca. The trip had been personally scheduled after the earlier cancellation of a five-day official tour to Saudi Arabia that was supposed to begin on October 14.
This marks the second high-level visit to Saudi Arabia that the army chief has withdrawn from in recent weeks.

Ties to earlier diplomatic events

Gen Zaman had also cancelled a proposed visit to New Delhi between October 12 and 14, coinciding with the arrival of an Indian Military Intelligence team in Dhaka from October 14 to 17. At that time, the army chief was reportedly occupied with addressing internal matters related to the arrest of 15 Bangladesh Army officers charged by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).

Sources suggested that the earlier cancellation of the Saudi visit might have been influenced by the need to manage sensitive developments within the army and the political uncertainty surrounding the interim government.

The planned Saudi Arabia trip was not only religious but also strategic. It was intended to explore the possibility of deploying Bangladeshi troops for a peacekeeping mission at a Saudi military base currently housing around 7,000 U.S. troops, who are expected to withdraw in the coming months.

Dhaka viewed this as a potential opportunity, given Bangladesh’s longstanding reputation in UN peacekeeping operations across conflict zones worldwide.

Growing uncertainty within military circles

The abrupt cancellation of the Mecca visit, coming soon after other postponed foreign trips, has fueled speculation within defence and diplomatic circles in Dhaka. While no official statement has been issued by the Armed Forces Division or the Chief Adviser’s Office, analysts believe the decision may be linked to domestic political concerns or regional security dynamics.

Notably, a few months ago, senior Bangladesh military officials — including Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan — had performed umrah, while Gen Zaman had stayed back in Dhaka to oversee what insiders described as a volatile phase for the interim regime’s stability.

As of now, no formal reason has been provided for the army chief’s sudden change of plans. However, the development has intensified discussions within Bangladesh’s strategic and military circles, underscoring the tense atmosphere prevailing in the country’s power structure under the current interim administration.

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