Month into his new post, army chief now in-charge of country

Dhaka, August 5

Just over a month after he became Bangladesh’s army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman has been thrust into the limelight, announcing the resignation of PM Sheikh Hasina on Monday.

Zaman, 58, assumed the duties of army chief on June 23 for a period of three years - the normal tenure for the position. Born in Dhaka in 1966, he is married to Sarahnaz Kamalika Zaman, the daughter of General Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman, who was army chief from 1997 to 2000.

Prior to becoming the army chief, he served as the Chief of General Staff for little over six months. In a career spanning three-and-a-half decades, he has also worked closely with Hasina, serving as the principal staff officer at the Armed Forces Division under the Prime Minister’s Office. — Reuters