The Bangladesh Army on Wednesday barred National Citizens’ Party (NCP) Chief Organiser Hasnat Abdullah from entering the highly secure Dhaka Cantonment, reinforcing an earlier decision that restricts his access to one of the city’s most sensitive areas.

The incident occurred at the Mirpur Gate near Kochukhet when Abdullah attempted to enter the cantonment. Military Police (MP) personnel manning the gate disallowed his entry, leading to a brief altercation. Witnesses said Abdullah then made several phone calls to Army officers but was still refused entry. After waiting for about 20 minutes, he left the location.

According to informed sources, Abdullah had not sought entry to meet any Army officer but had reportedly wanted to use the cantonment’s congestion-free roads to travel to another part of the city. The cantonment has two main access points—Mirpur Gate in the north and Jahangir Gate in the south.

Tensions with Army leadership

Relations between the Army top brass and Abdullah, along with other NCP functionaries, have been strained in recent months. The friction stems from Abdullah’s public disclosure of an alleged meeting with Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman on the politically sensitive issue of forming what he described as a “refined Awami League.”

In a Facebook post earlier this year, Abdullah claimed that he and fellow student activist Sarjis Alam had met General Zaman inside his official residence in the cantonment. According to him, Army officials had presented a plan on March 11 to reconstitute a section of the Awami League with figures such as former MPs Saber Hossain Chowdhury, ex-Speaker Shirin Sharmin, and Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh.

Abdullah alleged that the conversation at the time included discussions on seat-sharing arrangements and rehabilitation of the Awami League, with student leaders being asked to play a role in the political transition.

Army’s strong denial

The Army headquarters swiftly dismissed Abdullah’s claims, issuing a statement that rejected any suggestion of pressure on him or other activists regarding the rehabilitation of the Awami League. According to the official version, the meeting between General Zaman and the student leaders took place at the initiative of Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, not the Army.

The Army leadership has since taken a stern view of Abdullah’s public statements, which are seen as attempts to politicise the military’s role. Monday’s refusal of entry into the cantonment underscores the deepening rift between the Army and the NCP leadership, many of whom were once prominent figures in the Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement.

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