Waker-uz-Zaman Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Waker-uz-Zaman

• Waker-uz-Zaman joined the Bangladesh Military Academy on 20 December 1985 as part of the 13th BMA Long Course in the East Bengal Regiment.

• While serving in the military, he taught at the Non-Commissioned Officer’s Academy (NCOA), School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T), and Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT).

• Waker-uz-Zaman has served in United Nations missions in Liberia and Angola for some time.

• He held positions such as Deputy Assistant Military Secretary, Assistant Military Secretary, and Deputy Military Secretary at Army Headquarters.

• Waker-uz-Zaman has served in the Army Security Unit and commanded the 17th East Bengal Regiment and the 46th Independent Infantry Brigade in Dhaka.

• He was appointed as the Military Secretary of the Bangladesh Army twice, in 2013 and 2017.

• Later, Waker-uz-Zaman became the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 9th Infantry Division and Area Commander of the Savar Area in Bangladesh.

• On 30 November 2020, he was promoted to the position of Lieutenant General. He became the 15th Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh.

• In this role, he played an important role in coordinating military strategies and operations.

• Waker-uz-Zaman then served as the chairperson of the Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention and a member of the governing body of the National Defence College.

• On 29 December 2023, he was appointed as the Chief of General Staff (CGS) of the Bangladesh Army. He supervised operational and strategic planning to ensure the Army’s readiness.
  

  Waker-uz-Zaman (right) after being appointed as the Chief of General Staff (CGS) of Bangladesh

• During the same time, Waker-uz-Zaman served as the chairman of the Central Coordination Committee of Cantonment Public Schools and Colleges in Bangladesh.

• He worked with the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, serving as the principal staff officer at the Armed Forces Division under the Prime Minister’s Office.

• Waker-uz-Zaman has been involved in the modernization of the Bangladesh Army.

• His international contributions include participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions such as the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and the United Nations Angola Verification Mission I (UNAVEM I).

• On 11 June 2024, the Government of Bangladesh appointed him as the 18th Chief of Army Staff.

• His wife, Begum Sarahnaz Kamalika Rahman, is the eldest daughter of the late General Mustafizur Rahman, who served as the Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army from 24 December 1997 to 23 December 2000.

• Mustafizur Rahman was the uncle of Sheikh Hasina.
  

  Waker-uz-Zaman during a meeting with Sheikh Hasina

• His wife is Sheikh Hasina’s cousin.

• On 5 August 2024, Waker-uz-Zaman confirmed that Sheikh Hasina had resigned as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and that an interim government would be set up to run the country during the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement. While addressing the country, he said,
  

  PM Hasina has resigned, interim government to run the country. We will return peace to the country. We ask citizens to stop violence. We will investigate all killings that have happened over the past few weeks.”

• He added during the same television speech that he would take full responsibility for controlling the situation. He assured Bangladeshi citizens that the Army would meet all the demands of the protesters.

• His address followed the imposition of a curfew to maintain law and order, showing the Army’s commitment to support the Constitution.

• This announcement came after Sheikh Hasina left Bangladesh due to widespread violent protests in August 2024. Reports stated that protesters stormed and looted the Prime Minister’s palace.
  

  A picture of a protester who went into the Presidential palace and took selfies on the bed and Sheikh Hasina’s official chair

• Apart from being a military personnel, he is a motivational speaker. Waker-uz-Zaman frequently delivers speeches at different seminars and conferences both in Bangladesh and abroad.

• He enjoys playing games in his leisure time.

• Waker-uz-Zaman likes travelling to distant places in his free time.
  

  Waker-uz-Zaman (middle) during a trip