Waker was born into a Bengali Muslim family on 16 September 1966 at Dacca of then East Pakistan. Waker's family hailed from Sherpur of now Mymensingh Division,Bangladesh. His father was Asad-Uz-Zaman,a notable district judge of Sherpur and Gaibandha. Waker's paternal grandfather was Fazlur Rahman who was given the title of Khan Bahadur by the erstwhile ruling British Administration for his services to the British Raj and so was his maternal grandfather Sadiq Khan.[13][14]
He was appointed Chief of General Staff of Bangladesh Army on 29 December 2023.[22] General Waker is also worked as the acting chairman of the Central Coordination Committee of Cantonment Public Schools and Colleges. On 11 June 2024,Government of Bangladesh appointed him as the next chief of army staff.[23]
Interim government formation and support
On 5 August 2024,following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation and self-imposed exile from Bangladesh amidst the Student-People's uprising,Waker announced that an interim government will be formed with the support of the political parties and the protesters,promising that the military would investigate violence against student protesters and hand over power. Members of the interim government led by Nobel laureateMuhammad Yunus were sworn in on the night of 8 August,three days after the Fifth Hasina ministry was dissolved following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and the ousting of her regime.[24] Waker-uz-Zaman oversaw the oath-taking ceremony of Yunus in presence of political leaders,civil society leaders,generals and diplomats. Yunus was declared head of the interim government of Bangladesh,but other attendees that were sworn in to act as Yunus' interim cabinet members were referred to as "advisers" rather than ministers. These new advisers included student protesters,such as,Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud,whom led the quota reform and the non-cooperation movement culminating in the ousting of Sheikh Hasina.[25]
He hinted that the interim government may have 15 members for instance. However,he did not disclose their names and the possible tenure of the government.[26][27] He vowed to help and support the interim government to help it complete reforms following the constitutional crisis,and to held a general election within 18 months.[28]
Criticism
In March 2025,Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam accused Waker-Uz-Zaman of opposing the appointment of Muhammad Yunus as chief advisor after 5 August 2024,and they also claimed that,in March 2025,Waker secretly argued over a proposal to Hasnat and two other anti-discrimination student movement leaders to bring "Refined Awami League" back into Bangladeshi politics without a trial,which led to widespread criticism on social media and the media,as well as reactions in political circles.[29][30][31]However,Bangladesh army described Hasnat's assertions as "hilarious and an immature array of stories."
Personal life
Waker is married to Begum Sarahnaz Kamalika Rahman,the eldest daughter of late General Mustafizur Rahman,and the couple has two daughters.[17] Sarahnaz's father general,Mustafizur Rahman,was the former chief of army staff from 24 December 1997 to 23 December 2000.[32] Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is a cousin of Sarahnaz.[33][34]
↑ "Lt Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman named new army chief". The Daily Star. 11 June 2024. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024. Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, OSP, SGP, psc, Chief of General Staff (CGS) has been promoted to general and appointed as the Chief of Army Staff
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