In a development that could fundamentally reshape the narrative surrounding Bangladesh’s 2024 anti-Hasina uprising, a senior member of the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus has made remarks that many observers interpret as an indirect acknowledgment of foreign involvement in the bloodshed that preceded the August political transition. Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hossain, who served as Home Affairs Advisor in the post-August interim structure, recently gave an interview to local media in which he revealed startling details regarding the use of 7.62 bore sniper rifles during the anti-Hasina movement. His statements have reignited debate over who was truly responsible for the targeted killings that escalated the unrest into nationwide chaos.

According to Brigadier General Hossain, numerous fatalities during the protests were carried out using high-caliber sniper rifles – weapons that, he emphasized, are neither part of Bangladesh Police inventory nor handled by any officially trained sniper units within the civilian law enforcement structure.

Even more striking was his observation that images and videos he reviewed suggested that the individuals operating these weapons did not physically resemble Bangladeshi nationals. In his words, they appeared to be “foreigners”. This assertion alone has triggered intense speculation.

Brigadier General Hossain also observed that had there been credible evidence of involvement by Indian nationals, the Yunus-led administration – often perceived as diplomatically distant from New Delhi – would likely have raised the matter prominently in international forums. The absence of such claims, he suggested, invites further scrutiny.

Sakhawat Hossain’s comments stopped short of explicitly naming any country. But in Bangladesh’s strategic landscape, the list of plausible actors is limited. For many analysts, his remarks are widely interpreted as an implicit reference to Pakistan. The suggestion that foreign-trained snipers may have operated inside Bangladesh during the height of the 2024 unrest carries grave implications – not only for domestic politics but also for regional security architecture.

Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, I have consistently argued in multiple articles and international television discussions that the........

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