General Moeen worked towards building support for his regime by negotiating with political leaders. Former President Hussain Muhammad Earshad, who had been uneasy during the previous administrations, found comfort during this time and indicated a positive relationship with General Moeen. It is believed that they collaborated to implement the ‘Minus Two Formula’, an attempt to end the political careers of former prime ministers Begum Khaled Zia and Sheikh Hasina. In his book, General Moeen proposed his own version of democracy. However, it is not within his professional entitlement as a serving general to make such political prescriptions and is punishable in the Bangladesh Army, as in any other army. Nevertheless, General Moeen was able to grab power by keeping most structures intact and with tacit international support from diplomats in Dhaka. While initially he seemed to be imitating other military dictators, it was later revealed that his ambition was quite low and that he only wanted to retire after completing his normal tenure. President Pranab Mukharjee of India revealed in his autobiography how General Moeen humiliated himself before a foreign president to save his job and how he secured his job from Sheikh Hasina. This behavior of General Moeen is seen as treacherous by many critics. General Moeen’s lack of ambition could be due to his realization that his whole move could end in an indigestible political career. The involvement of diplomats in domestic politics went beyond diplomatic norms and contributed to the disrepute General Moeen earned, which may have induced his political ambition.